Shattered Heart
by Dj Bunz
Summary: A year before she met Tsukune, Mizore Shirayuki began her first year in Yokai Academy. This hidden chapter, however, holds untold secrets that would shape the rest of her life forever. Mizore X OC.  Set before the main manga series.
1. Broken Heart

**Ch. 1- Broken Heart**

Eighteen year old Yusuke Uchida awoke to the sound of crying. He sat up and brushed the grass off his hair and clothes, the drowsiness making him irritated. The young man had short black hair tipped into small blond spikes on top. His clothes were simple enough; a plain white shirt complete with blue jean pants. Rubbing sleep from his eyes, Yusuke looked around.

An endless expanse of white-budded flowers moved and danced with the wind. The flower field stretched across all across the plain, the hills and the mounds. From his view, Yusuke was in the center of a sea of white and green. Farther south from where he sat was a cliff face, its end curled in like a tail. Waves crashed against the bottom, foam forming on the rock. To the north was a large group of buildings, sizes ranging from that of garages to mansions. _Yokai Academy. The school for monsters._

Yusuke listened. The crying was echoing all around. The flowers near the center of the plain drooped, as if sad themselves. _What is this? Where is that coming from?_ Yusuke began to walk through the flower bed toward the source. The sobs grew louder as he got closer. He stopped when he saw a dark shape amongst the white. Sure enough, that was the source of the crying. Yusuke slowly crept closer, undetected.

_A girl…?_ Yusuke observed, more curious than frustrated now. The girl had her head in between her knees, arms hugging her legs. She wore a basic school uniform; white buttoned top and black skirt with matching knee-high socks and shoes. Yusuke wondered if she belonged to the academy, as it was early in the afternoon. Her hair had an icy purple color; the kind you see in the sky seconds before night took center stage. Her body trembled with each new sob. She still hadn't noticed Yusuke's approach.

_How did she get here without my knowing?_ Yusuke thought crossly, glancing around the field. This has been the first time that anyone entered the area without any forewarning him about it. The fact that she had accomplished this unsettled him.

_Should I just scare her off?_ he contemplated. Yusuke's methods never failed with any other foolish students who wandered into the field. After thinking about it, he decided against it._ Better to figure out what's wrong instead of making it worse, _he reasoned with himself. Stopping within feet of the girl, he asked, "Hey, girl. What are you doing here?"

The girl looked up, and Yusuke's eyes widened slightly. She had the slender, pale face of a doll. Her eyes shimmered like blue jade crystal, more so because of the falling tears. She didn't seem that much younger than he was. Was she fifteen? Sixteen, maybe? She looked at Yusuke silently, as if not seeing he was there. What stuck out most was the large red mark swelling slightly from her left cheek like a bruise or burn. "Whoa, that's a nasty looking mark. You okay?"

The girl hid her face from him. "I'm..." she said with a whimper, "I'm fine. And I'm not crying."

"Uh-huh. The tears dripping down your face say differently."

"SHUT UP!" the girl screamed, raising her right hand. The hand transformed into a translucent ice claw three times normal size as she blindly swiped at Yusuke. Surprised, Yusuke dodged out of the way just in time as nearby flower buds were cut clean off the stems.

"Hey!" Yusuke snapped, taking a step closer to the girl. "What's your problem?"

"Leave me ALONE!" The girl tried another claw attack, but Yusuke, now expecting it, dodged it easily. Again and again, she tried to slice him in half, cut him into ribbons, but Yusuke effortlessly dodged the attacks, hands in his pockets the entire time. Eventually the girl gave up, turned her hand back to normal, and hunched over, exhausted. Yusuke stood six feet away, ready in case she decided to attack again. "You done? You can't hit me no matter how hard you try. Although I'd appreciate it if you stopped damaging everything else in your path."

The girl looked around her. Tens, possibly hundreds, of flowers were ravaged, as if a lawnmower with mad cow disease had been sent free to wreak havoc. "Really, was all that worth it?" Yusuke asked, his tone neutral. Gesturing to the destroyed plants, he added, "What did they ever do to you?"

"Who the hell are you?" the girl demanded, still breathing hard, "and what are you doing here?"

Yusuke cocked an eyebrow. "I believe the real question is who are _you_, and what are _you_ doing here in_ my _flower field, crying like that? Really, I was only trying to help."

"I wasn't crying! And I came here to be alone!"

"Alone, huh?" Yusuke folded his arms. "Why would you want to be alone?"

"It's none of your damned business!" The girl looked like she was going to burst into tears again. "Why can't you people just LEAVE ME ALONE?!" She fell back on her rear and continued crying.

Yusuke watched the girl for a few moments. Deciding that she wasn't going to attack again, he sat down next to her. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small bag and a handkerchief. Opening the bag, he pulled out a sucker, unwrapped it, and stuck it in his mouth. "Here," he said, offering the hanky. "Wipe your face." The girl hesitantly took it and did as she was told, choking back sobs. "Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot. My name is Yusuke Uchido. What's yours?"

The girl took a few breaths before replying. "Mi…Mizore Sh-Shirayuki…"

_Now we're getting somewhere,_ Yusuke thought. He pulled out another sucker from the bag. "Have this, Ms. Shirayuki," he said, tossing it, "I always keep some handy in case of a quick pick-me-up." Mizore, surprised, caught it on her skirt. Picking it up, she unwrapped it and cautiously put it in her mouth. "Tell me something," Yusuke pressed on, pointing over his shoulder to the buildings. "Do you go to the school over there?"

The girl nodded, sucking on the candy. "Are you gonna tell the teachers that I came here?" she snapped, and then flinched. Her hand shot up to the mark on her face, as if it was stinging.

"I don't care about the Academy. So don't worry about that." Yusuke stood up and dusted his jeans. "Look, do you even know where you are now?"

Mizore shook her head. "I didn't care where I was going. The academy...I just needed to-"

"-get away?" Yusuke finished. "So you don't know...Do yourself a favor, Ms. Shirayuki, and get out of here as fast as you can and never come back. This field is probably the worst place you could have run to. People who stick around here for too long tend to...disappear, if you catch my meaning." Yusuke turned and casually walked through the sea of flowers. Mizore heard him mutter, "Now where is that shadow?" before he seemingly melted into the white plains.

_ Who was that?_ Mizore thought. Besides the soft blowing wind, she heard no other sounds. She was once again alone_. I...probably should be getting back._ Even with Yusuke's warning in mind, Mizore didn't want to go back. Yokai Academy was the last place she wanted to be. The source of all her suffering was there.

Why did she do it? What supernatural force had willed her to do it? If she hadn't done what she'd done or said what she said, everything would have been normal and okay.

But she did. It _had_ happened. She just couldn't keep everything inside any longer. And that's the reason why she suffered like she did…

With these sad thoughts in her mind, Mizore left the white flower field behind and walked slowly back toward the academy black gates. There was no way she could have seen the dark figure with sharp, yellow eyes watching her amongst the white.


	2. Trouble

**Ch. 2- Trouble**

The next day, Mizore was sitting in the back of a classroom, mind as heavy as a raincloud. The mark on her face had lost it's swelling overnight, but a slight throb still persisted. Her teacher, a very pretty and intelligent Ms. Ririko, was lecturing on advanced algorithms. Math definitely wasn't Mizore's strong subject. Hardly having any will power to follow along, Mizore gazed instead through the nearby window, looking across the school grounds.

The campus was barren wasteland, complete with blackened, dead trees. Thorny brambles and vines snaked all around and through the dormitories to the east. Even an ancient cemetery was positioned by the western wall. Then again, that's how the students of Yokai Academy for Monster's usually like it. A dark and dead atmosphere.

But just outside the campus walls, near the cliff face, was the giant white flower field. Completely out of the "ordinary" in such a scary, gloomy place like Yokai. Mizore wondered how so much plant life could exist so close to this environment. But somehow, there they were, occupying their piece of the land as if to defy fate.

"Mizore!"

Snapped out of her trance, Mizore turned from the window and saw Ms. Ririko standing imperiously over her desk. "Day dreaming again?" she said, clicking her tongue, disappointed. "Sometimes I wonder how you plan to move on to next term, Ms. Shirayuki. I heavily suggest you start paying attention in class if you wish to get you're abysmal grades up, young lady!" Turning on her high heel, Ms. Ririko click-clacked her way back to the front of the class and continued her lecture.

Mizore sighed and, as soon as her teacher was distracted, turned her attention back to the flower field. _Yusuke…_ Mizore had only started school here about two months ago, and she had never seen him or the humongous flower bed before. Was he a monster too? Possibly a student? _I probably was too wrapped up in the incident to notice,_ she figured. _The incident…_

"Hey, freak," a girl sitting to the immediate right of Mizore sneered. "Falling asleep in class?"

"You know," the boy in front of Mizore hissed over his shoulder, "doing that might just get you expelled from here. How much of a chance do you think you'll have to win _him_ over if that happened?"

Mizore scowled. _It's starting again. _She opened her textbook and acted like she was reading in an attempt to ignore them. _X plus the cos sign of 8 minus C squared…_

"Really, how could you possibly think you could stand a chance?" the girl went on. "You, a freshman, going for a senior on your first month of school? And not just any senior, it had to be Ryuu Arashito, the smartest and handsomest student in Yokai!" The girl blushed and swooned at the thought of him.

"Idiot," the boy snickered. "You even tried admitting your feelings to him, and look where it got you?" Mizore flinched; the place where the mark used to be on her cheek stung sharply as if still fresh. "You only got what you deserved after all." By this time, other surrounding students were glancing at Mizore, snickering and pointing.

Mizore's hands shook with anger. She tried to calm herself by thinking about the assignment, but it wasn't working very well. _Calm down,_ she told herself. _What's happened has happened. Don't let them get to you._

"After all," the girl whispered, leaning close to Mizore, "how would someone like Ryuu ever consider going out with a loser bitch like you?"

Mizore snapped. Raising her hand, an icicle spike shot up right where the girl was, causing the desk to shatter into pieces. Students screamed in surprise and jumped away. Ms Ririko gasped and stomped her high heels with authority. "Ms. Shirayuki! What is the meaning of this?"

"She was trying to copy my notes, Ms. Ririko!" The girl appeared on the window sill to Mizore's left, acting frightened. _How did she move so fast? _Mizore thought bewildered. "When I said no, she tried to freeze me!"

"What?" Mizore shouted. "That's not what-"

"It's true, Ms. Ririko!" the boy chimed in. "I saw the whole thing! She's crazy!" Mizore had half a mind to freeze them both on the spot, but she had the entire class's attention on her. _They tricked me! _She mentally cursed herself for being so reckless.

"Ms. Shirayuki!" Ms. Ririko snapped with finality. "Come with me. Now." Mizore growled as she followed the teacher outside the classroom. She could hear the laughs and jeers of not just the two students picking on her, but the majority of the class just before the door slammed shut behind her. The only sounds Mizore heard as she followed her teacher was the teacher's high heels and the other students' humiliating laughter echoing in her mind.


	3. The Mind Reader

Author's Piece: I just bought the 3rd book of Rosario+Vampire Season Two. After i read it, I fell into a writing depression. Not gonna spoil nothing about it, for those who haven't read it yet. But it just made me sad to write about Mizore. But later i found new motivation to keep writing, for reasons I'll tell later in this story.

What freaked me out the most was the fact that there really is a white flower field involved in the main story line! Unintended copyright? lol But it's all good. It actually mixes well with Shattered Heart, in ways that will, again, be explained later. :)

**Ch. 3- The Mind Reader**

"What? You've been suspended for a week? What is the meaning of this, Mizore?"

"I told you, mom!" Mizore said, gripping the phone with frustration. "It wasn't my fault! It was those-"

Her mother cut her off. "Enough of your excuses, Mizore! Only two months in, and you already received suspension! I just can't believe it." Her voice dripped with bitterness and disappointment.

"But you don't understand!" Mizore argued. "I hate it here. I _hate_ it! There's nothing for me here but misery! Why can't I just come back home?"

"Listen to me, Mizore," her mother said in such an icy tone, there was a good chance the phone on the other side had frozen over. "Yokai Academy is the only place around where monsters can get a good education. Can't you see it's for your own good? Don't you care about your future, or is that only the mother's job?"

"Since when have you cared about me? You call this a school? To me, it's a prison! And if you ever cared, you wouldn't have sent me to this hellhole in the first place!" Mizore slammed the phone back into the receiver.

_Damn it. Damn it! DAMN IT! _she thought with pure frustration. _Why doesn't she listen to me? How could she not understand the hell I put up with day in and day out?_

"Didn't go to well?" Mizore turned to the girl leaning against the booth barrier. She brushed her dark, velvet hair away from her piercing, violet eyes.

"What gave that away, Matoko?" Mizore grumbled.

The girl named Matoko Chouku shrugged away the snappy remark. She knew better than to argue with Mizore, considering her emotional state. "It doesn't take a mind reader to know how bad that went."

Mizore sat down against the wall by Matoko, her head falling in between her knees. "First I get suspended, now my mother won't listen to me. How can it get any worse than this?"

"At least you weren't expelled," Matoko pointed out.

"Yeah, now I'm stuck here in Yokai Academy for a week. That's _so_ grand."

Makoto silently sighed. "You never know," she said, gently combing Mizore's hair with her fingers. It was like sticking her hand in a bucket of ice water, but Matoko didn't show any reaction. "This could be a good thing for you. Isn't this the first time you've been away from home?"

Mizore's head bobbed up and down, so Matoko continued in a soft whisper. "Could be culture shock, or something. Maybe you just need a break from all this. A vacation, even."

_A break, _her voice echoed in Mizore's thoughts, her mind slowly settling down. _Yeah, I could use a break. A nice little vacation away from everything..._ It was like a heavy weight was being effortlessly lifted from her heart. Mizore's eyes fluttered. _A vacation would be nice...so nice..._

A shred of consciousness in the back of her mind clicked. She shook her head,bringing her back into reality, and angrily slapped Matoko's hand away. "Stop that! You promised you wouldn't do that to me anymore!"

Matoko hid her hands behind her back, face neutral and eyes expressionless. "I don't know what you're talking about. I promised that I wouldn't enter your mind, and I didn't. I was only trying to cheer you up."

**PSYCHIC**

**A human with enhanced mental capabilities. Capable of reading and manipulating the thoughts of other living things. Usually avoided and feared because of their lack of control over their powers. Once powerful enough, it's possible for them to take complete control their victims.**

"The last thing I need is for you to mess with my head!"

Matoko shrugged. "Whatever you say." She watched Mizore silently, watching as she began to cry.

"I just don't get it," Mizore quietly. "Why couldn't my mom understand what I'm going through?"

"She's a parent. It's just what they do. They like to think that they know, but the situation is always different. What may have been helpful to them in the past could be hurtful to you now. They just never stop to consider what their children might be going through."

Matoko's mind began to wander. Back to her own parents, a loving couple who cared for their only daughter just as much. That is what she read from there actions and words, anyway...

This wasn't a topic that Matoko liked to dwell on. "Look, why don't we take a walk? Classes are over, so everyone's probably in their rooms by now." Matoko glanced at the troubled snow girl up and down. "You look like you could use some fresh air."

Mizore hesitated. "Alright," she said finally. With Matoko's help, she got up and the two exited the dormitory building.

She had to admit that, compared to the filtered air conditioning indoors, the cool evening air helped calm her down. For the past few days, the sky had been blanketed by dark, bleak clouds threatening heavy rainfall. The grounds were nearly deserted, with the exception of some students scattered here and there, wrapped in their scarves and jackets.

"The weather's certainly got colder all of a sudden," Matoko commented. Although the dress code had changed to winter uniforms, she had stuck with a black full-body dress with intricate lace at the knees, complete with a lavender neck bow and matching high heel boots. The change in temperature didn't bother her like it did most other students.

"It has," Mizore agreed, "but not cold enough to bundle up, in my opinion."

Matoko looked at her and her thin white shirt and skirt. The cold weather had obviously no effect her either."Mizore, even if the world froze over, you'd still be wearing summers." They both laughed.

"So, where are we going?"

Matoko pointed toward the main gate. "I figured around the outer walls. I wanted to take a closer look at that flower field by the cliff."

"The flower field?" Mizore repeated, surprised.

Matoko noticed Mizore's reaction. "Something wrong?"

"Nothing. It's just...why there in particular?"

"Well, I've been hearing rumors about that place. The mere view of it is supposedly breathtaking, and the white flowers are very pretty."

"Didn't think you were the type to be staring at a bunch of plants."

"I'm not," Matoko said, a strange glint in her dark eyes. "I'm more interested in the stories about the place. For instance, did you know that the place is_ haunted_?"

"Huh? Haunted?"

"That's right. There's a legend, and I really mean rumors here, that tells of a monster that guards the field. Students who are either brave or stupid enough to go in get attacked. When they wake up, they start going off about a 'dark beast' the likes no one has ever seen before. A few weeks ago, one guy thought he was tough enough to fight the monster, but about five minutes later even he was running with his tail between his legs!"

Yusuke's words echoed from Mizore's memory. _People who stick around here for too long tend to...disappear, if you catch my meaning. _Is this what he was talking about? "You plan on going in there?" Mizore asked tentatively.

"Do I look stupid to you? Of course not, but I would like to take a closer look at it, wouldn't you?" Mizore didn't reply, and Matoko took it as silent agreement. "Come on, the gate's right over here." Matoko trotted off, with Mizore trailing right behind.

From behind her, Mizore heard heavy laughing, snatching her attention. Mizore stopped and turned around. Several students were hanging around a tree around the far side of the dormitory. In the center of the group was a tall, handsome young man leaning against the tree. Long, sleek black hair fell over half his face. _It's Ryuu!_ Mizore's heart did a small back-flip. _It's him!_ He, as did most of the people in the group, wore the slick, black uniform of the senior class. The uniform, the hair, the smile, the eyes…Ryuu trumped the "dark, hot guy" card for all its worth.

One of the groupies wore the same first year uniform that Mizore wore. In fact, Mizore recognized her as the girl who disappeared when she tried to freeze her just earlier today! The girl stood in the middle of the group, talking and gesturing as if recalling a funny story. Mizore was close enough to overhear what she was saying. "So, then I said, 'Why would he ever fall for a loser bitch like you?'. Well, she tried to turn me into a popsicle, but I easily moved from point A-" suddenly the girl disappeared and reappeared right outside the circle of students. "-to point B. Super speed sure has it's advantages! She didn't even know what hit her when Ms. Ririko took her away!" The surrounding students cackled and guffawed at the display. Even Ryuu chuckled a little. Mizore felt her heart crack painfully at the sight.

She remembered when she first saw him. It was when she had first arrived to Yokai Academy, in the beginning of 2nd term. Ryuu had been asked, since he was top student of the senior class AND student body president, to give a brief tour of the campus. What was it about him that caused Mizore's heart to throb, even now? Perhaps it was the way he talked so confidently, how handsome he was, how he aced all his classes, or the way he actually cared about her adjusting. Mizore, along with many other girls she later learned, fell for him instantly. It wasn't for another few weeks before she finally got the guts to approach him…

Suddenly, Mizore noticed the other person standing very close to Ryuu. A very pretty girl with dark toned skin and ponytail was snuggling against Ryuu's arm. Mizore knew her name to be Ishiku Natsuda. The girl looked around and, when she noticed Mizore watching, sneered. Mizore felt her cheek sting painfully. Ishiku, turning her attention back to Ryuu, slowly ran a hand through his hair and passionately kissed him. Ryuu didn't resist, but instead held her and kissed her back. His surrounding buddies wolf whistled while the first year girl looked crestfallen.

"Mizore?" Matoko walked back to where Mizore had stopped. "Mizore, what's-" She followed her gaze and cursed.

Mizore couldn't take it anymore. Her heart felt like it was torn in two. She felt the tears flow freely as she turned and ran as fast as she could toward the gate. "Mizore, wait!" Matoko called after her, but Mizore didn't stop. She didn't know nor care where her legs took her, as long as she was moving away from the school. Away from the misery, the heartbreak, the pain.

She eventually stopped, hands on her knees and out of breath. _That senior girl saw me,_ she thought angrily, her hands balled into fists. _She did that knowing I was watching!_ Standing back up, Mizore realized with slight surprise where she was. An endless expanse of white strechted as far as she could see. _It's...the flower field!_


	4. Haunted

**Ch. 4- Haunted**

The flower field stretched out before her. The white flowers were dancing in unison to the wind, like ripples in the sea. _I didn't know I ran this far…_ Mizore thought, wiping the tears from her eyes. Looking over her shoulder, she could see the school buildings, now small from her viewpoint. Matoko wasn't anywhere in sight.

Mizore faced forward and walked into the field, the flowers gently brushing against her hands and legs. She walked on and on, not keeping track of her direction. She just kept walking, hoping to just get swallowed into the endless ocean of white and green. The flowers eventually grew taller as she went deeper in, rising up to her waist.

"People who stick around here for too long tend to...disappear."

"Students who are either brave or stupid enough to go in get attacked by that dark monster."

_Fine. Let me disappear. Let me never be found again. I don't care._

The sound of rustling vegetation disrupted her empty reverie. Mizore glanced around, senses alert. But she saw nothing out of the ordinary.

More rustling, coming from her right. _Is it the monster that Matoko was talking about?_ Her hands shaped into ice claws, at the ready. More rustling from behind. Then to the left. _Is there more of them?_ _No...it's just one._ But whatever it was, it was fast...and getting closer.

Mizore collapsed as something hit her hard in her back, knocking the breath out of her. She landed on her face, cushioned by the soft soil, as something heavy pressed her into the ground. Once her senses returned, Mizore tried to shake it off, but she could hardly move. Turning her head, she saw a dark shape pressing her down. A pair of yellow eyes stared back down on her. Several teeth glinted, sharp as knives. Mizore prepared her self for the monster to attack her, to be cut into shreds, to die alone...

Then what felt like a wet towel began to smack her repeatedly on her face. The weight holding Mizore down shifted slightly, just enough to allow her enough wiggle room to rock the creature off of her. Before she could lift her claws up, the creature charged and tackled her again, pinning her on her back this time. Mizore looked up at the monster.

_It's...a puppy?_she thought as it resumed licking her face. Mizore again struggled to shake it off. The puppy jumped off and stood on its haunches, tail wagging excitedly. It had short, jet black fur, and floppy ears. Mizore melted her ice claws and wiped the drool off her face. The puppy barked playfully, watching Mizore intently with yellow eyes.

_This was the dark beast that haunts the field?_ she thought incredulously. _Pbff. And here I thought this was a school of monsters._

"Shadow?" a voice called, from further into the flower field. "Where'd you-"

Mizore turned and saw Yusuke stop just a few feet away, surprise etched on his face. The puppy took full advantage of Mizore's distraction by pouncing her. "Shadow!" Yusuke commanded. "Get off her now." The puppy, Shadow, gave Yusuke a sad look before begrudgingly sitting by his leg, still watching Mizore with playful interest.

Yusuke sighed and sat down and regarded Mizore as she dusted herself off. "You've returned, I see." The end of a lollipop poked out of the corner of his mouth. In one hand he held a bag full of suckers, their sticks poking out like pins in a cushion. "Want one?" he offered. Mizore grabbed one, unwrapped it, and popped it in her mouth. _Orange._

"Thanks," she mumbled, taking a seat next to Yusuke. She kept an eye on Shadow, half expecting her to jump on her again. But the black pup stayed put.

"Shadow normally isn't so friendly to strangers," Yusuke remarked, scratching behind the dog's ear. "She must really like you."

Mizore quietly sucked on the candy, unsure of how to respond. "Um...about yesterday, I'm sorry for attacking you."

"It's alright." Yusuke said with no change in his expression."The flowers you damaged have been replanted and bloomed a few hours ago." Even as he said it, guilt still burned within her. Then she noticed that he was watching her. "Why did you return? Do you not recall my warning?"

Before Mizore could respond, Shadow turned her head. She bared her teeth, sharp looking even for a puppy, and growled. Yusuke glanced in the same direction, but he merely looked annoyed. "Seems like you had followers." Sighing, Yusuke stood up. To Mizore, he said "If you're coming, stay quiet and stay low." With that, Shadow dashed and disappeared into the flower field, Yusuke, following closely behind.

Keeping a low silhouette, Mizore followed him, barely keeping him in her sights. She wondered what was going on, and who had trailed her here. Was it Matoko? If so, what was Yusuke going to do?

Finally she caught up to Yusuke, who had stood up when he reached the edge of the field. "Lay on your stomach and don't make a sound," he commanded. A few seconds later, Mizore saw why.

Through the flowers she saw someone was approaching the field. It wasn't Makoto, but the first year girl who Mizore had tried to freeze in class. She was glancing around, intently looking for something.

Or some_one_, as it turned out. "Where did that ice girl go? I could have sworn she ran in this direction." She looked straight at Yusuke, who was standing just to the side of her, but her gaze swept right past him as if he wasn't even there.

Two others, both male students, ran up behind her, gasping for breathe. The girl, obviously the ringleader of the bunch, turned on them angrily. "Where did she go, Jiryu? You better not let her slip from your senses!"

One of the boys, short and overweight, sniffed the air. "She's been here." he confirmed. He smelled the air again. "And she's close." Mizore did her best to not move. The white flowers helped camouflage her, but it wouldn't do any good if any of them looked directly at her. But why hadn't they noticed Yusuke? He was right there in the open. Couldn't they see him?

"Well, what are we waiting for?" the girl said, "Let's go!" She moved to step into the field, but the other boy, tall with a big nose, grabbed her scarf. "Hey, what's the big idea, Kenta?"

The tall boy, Kenta, let go and gulped. "Don't you know what this place is, Ashiyo-san? This is the Haunted White Field everyone's been talking about!" Upon mentioning this, Jiryu took several steps back as if the flowers were radioactive.

"Haunted?" Ashiyo said, eyebrow cocked high. "Are you kidding me?"

Kenta shook his head rapidly. "It's no joke! I hear there's a black monster in there that attacks anyone who enters. You can't go in there!"

"Oh, you guys are real piece's of work, you know that? Fine, stay there if you're too scared!" Ashiyo walked pompously into the field, stomping on the flowers as she did so. "Oh, look at me! I'm sooo scared! I sure hope I don't get eaten by a terrible monster or anything! What a joke! I have better chance of catching hay fever!"

_Wow,_ Mizore thought. _She really does lay it on thick, doesn't she?_ She glanced at Yusuke, who was still standing a mere few feet away, watching them intently. _What does he think he's doing?_

"**You talk big, little girl.**" Yusuke's mouth moved, but what came out wasn't his voice. It was a twisted, sinister sound that made Mizore's own heart freeze. Ashiryo jumped, looking around for the source. She repeatedly looked right at Yusuke, but she didn't seem to see him. "**I've had many visitors come here with the same foolish arrogance as you.**"

That's when the rustling started. It came from all around Ashiyo, but it changed location every second, as if she were surrounded. She jumped here to there and back, trying to get away. But every time her foot tounched the ground, a shadow passed under the flowers causing them to shake.

"H-hey!" Ashiryo stammered. She wasn't looking too brave now. "Whatever you two are doing, knock it off now!"

The two boys looked at each other. "What are you talking about?" they asked, confused. "We're not doing anything!"

Ashiyo was about to snap at them when she heard a roar behind her. She turned around, making a little frightened squeak as she did so. Mizore glanced back, her own eyes widening in shock."**No one else makes it out of her alive, girlie. You wish to share their fate?**" Yusuke asked with a nasty cackle. "**Come then! The Beast of Hell smells a good meal**!"

From deep within the flower field, a creature of immense size came into view. It was covered in what might have been black fur. Upon further look, it actually had a coat of liquid darkness as fur, constantly shifting and reforming around the monster's body. Massive paws with deadly sharp talons flexed, crushing the earth underneath like it was sand. Sharp, yellow eyes leered hungrily at Ashiyo. _That monster is huge!_ Mizore thought. _How did I not notice it before?_

The shadow beast charged, bounding across the field with lightning fast speed. Ashiyo finally snapped and ran toward the edge of the flower field. From how far in the field Ashiyo was, Mizore estimated that she'd reach the edge before the monster caught up. But something seemed a little off about her...something that Mizore couldn't place.

The monster suddenly launched itself into the air with a mighty jump. As it descended, Mizore noticed it hadn't jumped far enough to reach Ashiyo. When it came to the ground, however, the black beast vanished into the sea of white flowers, like a diver jumping into a pool.

A second later it emerged right in front of Ashiyo, cutting her off. The girl squealed as she skidded to a stop. She tried to change direction, but the monster bounded in front of her again, growling. She turned around, but again was beaten to it.

Suddenly, Mizore found what had been irking her. _Ashiyo's only running normal speed! Why isn't she moving super fast like she did before?_

Apparently, Ashiyo herself was having the same thoughts. Every time she tried to run away from the monster, it bounded in front of her. From Mizore's view, it was like a twisted game of cat-and-mouse. "Why isn't my power working?" Ashiyo screamed in confusion and terror.

Yusuke watched all this dispassionately. He glanced back at where Mizore was hidden, his eyes conveying a clear message. _Don't move a muscle, no matter what._

Ashiyo quickly become exhausted, her speed and stamina visibly decreasing. The monster seemed to think of ending this little game too. It gnashed it's teeth together, preparing for another jump. Ashiyo stopped, trying to catch her breath. The monster leaped and fell directly at her. At the last second, she rolled to the side. The giant shadow missed and melted into the flowers again. Mizore looked around slightly, but didn't see it emerge.

Seeing the coast was clear, Ashiyo made a last ditch attempt toward the edge of the field. From the corner of her eye, Mizore saw dark shape glide like a shark fin through the flowers, heading straight for Ashiyo. It dipped into the ground, then the beast launched into the sky with a loud bellow. Mizore watched as the monster descended on Ashiyo, it's maw wide open, ready to swallow the girl whole.

As soon as her foot touched the bare ground, Ashiyo vanished just as the monster missed its target, disappearing into the ground instead. Mizore barely saw Ashiyo as she ran with incredible speed back toward Yokai Academy, her screams of fright trailing behind her. The two boys ran after her, surprised and telling her to stop, but she was already long gone. Mizore stared on in amazement.

She felt the monster before she saw it. It's warm breath tickling the back of her neck, and the long growl coming from deep within its large chest. It's muzzle was only inches from from her face. Mizore's heart pumped rapid fast as the monster's jaw opened, preparing to take a bite out of her.

"I think that will do, Shadow." Yusuke appeared next to the beast, running a hand through the dark, liquid fur. The beast turned its head to him, then stepped away from the shaking Mizore.

Then monster began to shrink. Blotches and globs of darkness dripped off the monster and disappeared as it touched the earth. It continued to shed its coat until something emerged. A black coat of fur, solid this time, small yellow eyes, and a rolled out pink tongue. The puppy gave one last shake, flinging the last of the darkness off, before playfully pouncing on the stunned ice girl.


	5. Sanctuary

**Ch. 5- Sanctuary**

"Don't chew on it. It'll last a lot longer." Yusuke handed the ice girl sitting across him another lollipop.

_Cherry…_"Sorry, couldn't help it." Mizore didn't understand why she was apologizing. Her eyes occasionally flicked from Yusuke to the tail-wagging Shadow. She half expected the pup to change into the beast again and attack her.

"Don't worry about her," Yusuke reassured, as if he had read her thoughts. "What you saw was only an illusion I placed on her. Shadow really wouldn't hurt a fly."

_Right, and that little transformation trick was only her 'playing' with Ashiyo._ Mizore figured that she had been kept in the dark for too long. She wanted answers."Yusuke," she asked aloud, "what _are_ you?"

Mizore wished she could take the question back as soon as the words escaped her lips. In that instant, something about the mysterious young man changed. His face was no longer an empty screen. Like a blank mask had been removed, Yusuke now looked pained and confused. His eyes dropped, and for a few seconds he didn't say anything. Even Shadow's tail stopped wagging as she looked up at her master in, what seemed like, quiet concern. He finally said simply, "I'm a monster."

"What do you mean?" Mizore asked, confused. There was no turning back now, she decided, so might as well keep digging. "We're all monsters around here."

"No. Unlike you, I wasn't _born_ a monster. It was something I...something...I became."

"Huh?" Yusuke's words made no sense to the snow girl. How can someone be made a monster? Is that even possible?

Her questions no longer mattered, for Yusuke shifted back into his normal, expressionless demeanor. "Anyway," he asked, changing the conversation's direction, "now we can continue where we were before those children interrupted us. Tell me, why did you come back? Didn't you remember my warning?"

"I did," Mizore said simply.

"Yet you still came?"

She looked down on her feet. "Yes."

"Why?"

Yusuke waited, expecting more elaboration, but Mizore kept silent. "There's something bothering you." It was more of a statement than a question. "Did you expect me to do something about it?"

"It wasn't like I was planning on coming here," she defended. "I was just running away from...um, well...I just ran here by accident, that's all."

"Running from what?" Yusuke asked relentlessly.

"It's none of your business." This wasn't somewhere Mizore wanted to go, but Yusuke kept pushing it.

"It becomes my business when you waltz into my home uninvited," he countered, keeping his voice level.

"Look!" Mizore snapped, getting annoyed by the countless questions. She felt her sucker crack and break in her mouth. "All I want is to be left alone! But I can't do that while in the Academy. The place is like a prison to me! People always bug me about the stupidest things. Things that they shouldn't know about! I just want to get away from it all!" She wiped her eyes; they were beginning to water, no matter how hard she tried to hold them back. "That's all I want..."

Suddenly she felt something fuzzy brushing against her leg. Shadow had laid herself at Mizore's side. The pup set her big head on the girl's knee, looking at her with big puppy eyes. Mizore finished wiping her face and scratched behind the dog's floppy ears, causing Shadow to wag her tail contently. Yusuke watched them both in silence.

Neither of them spoke for a while. Yusuke reached into the bag of lollipops and pulled two out, one of which he popped into his mouth. "Alright," he stated. "Then this is what I'll do. I'll allow you to come here when you need a place to be alone. If things become too difficult to bear, then my white flowers will provide sanctuary for you."

He offered the lollipop to Mizore. But when she reached for it, he sharply withdrew his arm. "On one condition: You must never, under any circumstance, tell anyone about this place. Also, you must be sure you aren't followed. If anyone else comes, and I find out it's because of you, I'll be sure you never come anywhere close to the field again." He extended his arm again. "Do we have a deal?"

Mizore looked from the sucker to Yusuke and back. "Deal," she said, grabbing the candy from him.

"Very good." Yusuke stood up and signaled Shadow, who darted up immediately to her master. Next, he pointed at the bag of suckers. "Go ahead and take these with you. You probably need them more than I do." With that, he walked away deeper into the flower fields. Shadow barked playfully before trotting up beside him.

"Yusuke!" Mizore called, quickly getting on her feet. Yusuke stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Thank you for doing this for me!" Yusuke looked away and, with a dismissive wave over his shoulder, continued walking before both he and the dog disappeared.

Mizore had only just walked through the school gates when she heard someone calling her name. Turning around, she saw Matoko running from outside the grounds toward her.

"There you are!" she said, slightly winded. "I've been looking all over for you when you suddenly took off like that."

"Sorry for worrying you," Mizore apologized. "I...just needed some time alone."

"At the candy store?" Matoko asked, eying the bag of lollipops Mizore was carrying.

"Uh..." Mizore muttered, thinking fast. "I found them as I was...walking around."

"Uh-huh," an unconvinced Matoko said, pushing Mizore with one arm. "Next time, at least tell me where you're going before you run off like that!"

"Oh, stop being such a mother hen!" Mizore pushed back, laughing.

"You _are_ okay, though?" Matoko asked. "Concerning why you ran off?"

"I'm feeling better," was Mizore's reply. "Trust me, I just needed a little 'me' time, you know?"

Oh, Matoko knew alright. Whenever Mizore had a frustrating day with other students making fun of her, and she needed time alone, she had shut herself away in her room. But the next day, she'd still look as terrible and depressed as when she went in. What had happened _this_ time to make her actually seem better?

"Okay. You just seem a little...I don't know...calmer. I was just concerned."

A sudden pain shot through Matoko, like a firework riding up her spine and finally exploding in her head. She felt her knees beginning to buckle.

_White...fear...Shadow... white flowers...sanctuary..._

A small groan escaping her lips. Matoko shook her head, trying to clear it. _It's happening again. No, not now!_

Mizore looked over her shoulder, and stopped when she noticed her friend on her knees. "Hey, Matoko!" she said, helping her up. "What's wrong?"

And just like that, the pain receded just as quickly as it started. "I just tripped, is all. I'm fine." The two started walking again. "So, where'd you end up going?"

Mizore thought for a second. _What should I tell her?_ she thought, Yusuke's conditions fresh in her mind. "The...flower field." She thought it safe to tell her that much.

"Really?" Matoko asked, eyebrows raised."You went _inside_?"

"Um, no." Mizore answered, thinking quickly. "I just, uh, ran around it towards the cliff."

"Any sign of the dark monster?"

"No," Mizore thought about the puppy, Shadow. She had to physically stop herself from laughing.

"Now what's wrong with you?"

"It's nothing," she said, but continued to laugh.

"Sometimes I wonder about you, Mizore." Matoko looked around. "Well, looks like everyone has cleared out of the courtyard. Probably cause it's getting so late. Come on, we should head back to the dorms."

"Yeah," Mizore agreed, stifling a yawn. Only then did she realize just how tired she really felt. All that running and walking had finally caught up with her, making her legs felt like they were ready to fold from under her. She followed Matoko back to the female dorm building, ready for a good night's sleep.


	6. What Is Truly Mine?

**Ch. 6- What Is Truly Mine?**

Mizore looked around her, but only saw black. A dark world, with only her inside to fill the void, as it's lone captive. She couldn't distinguish a thing in this darkness. _Where's the exit? Where's the entrance? Anything? How did I get here at all?_

All these thoughts abruptly ceased when she heard something. A soft, female voice. Mizore wasn't alone. **You must help him, snow fairy.**

"Who's there?" Mizore shouted.

**You must help him. The one who suffers. The one who bears great pain.**

"What are you talking about?" Mizore questioned the empty darkness. She could see no one, but the voice seemed to come from all around her. It even echoed and bounced within her mind as if it were her own thoughts. "Who are you?"

**He suffers alone.** The voice sounded like it was pleading. **Only you can heal him. Please, snow fairy, before it's too late...**

"Too late for what? Heal who?" None of this was making sense. She was completely alone in this black void, yet this mysterious voice wanted her to help someone else? How could she when she couldn't even help herself? "Where am I?" she screamed. "Where are you? _Who_ are you?"

* * *

><p>With a gasp, the young snow fairy awoke in her dormitory room in cold sweat. Her breathes came rapidly, trying to keep up with her beating heart. Her bed had a large, wet backprint where she was just laying before. Shaking, Mizore walked to her bathroom shower, turning the tap all the way to cold.<p>

The water dripping down her body washed her excessive body heat away, and in turn, she regained her calm. But no matter how hard she tried, the vivid afterimages of her dream stayed glued in her mind. _It was just a nightmare,_ she told herself. _A strange...dream._

After a few more minutes, she turned the shower off and stepped out. _Who's voice was that anyway?_ she wondered as she grabbed a towel. _What did she mean, "He suffers alone"?_ None of it made a sliver of sense to her. But the voice in her dream sounded scared and worried, so much so that Mizore felt little pangs of anxiety deep within her. These alien feelings weren't really hers, but they were reacting inside just as much as if they were. _What's happening to me? _

Knocking came from the front door, ending her inner conflict. "Mizore!" Matoko's voice said from outside. "Mizore, are you awake?"

Looking at the door, Mizore noticed the light that was seeping from under the door and through the blinds covering the window. She glanced at her bedside alarm clock. Her heart froze, and she nearly dropped her bath towel.

_It's 8:29 AM! I'm going to be late for school!_

* * *

><p>Matoko waited a few more moments before knocking again on room 107. "Mizore?" she called.<p>

A loud thud from inside the room was her answer, followed by Mizore's voice, "I'm coming! Just give me a second!"

"What are you-" Matoko began, then stopped. She felt suddenly dizzy, and pain erupted in her head. _No! Not again!_

Then she saw it. Her mind was reaching out, like invisible tentacles, all around her. They melted and weaved through the walls, searching stretching farther. It didn't take long before they detected something. Only seven feet inside her room, Matoko sensed Mizore's mind, shining like a candle in a dark room. The other female students had all already left for the main buildings for class, but it did not matter. Mizore's mind was sufficient enough. One was all Matoko needed.

_No! Not now!_ Matoko thought, trying to pull back. _Don't! I promised her I wouldn't! _But the mental tentacles didn't obey. They slithered closer and closer on their target, like carnivores sneaking up on an unsuspecting meal. Then they snapped forward like a whip, their tips piercing into Mizore's mind. Suddenly, Matoko felt a huge rush of feedback. Pain erupted from the back of her skull. She was having feelings that she didn't really have. Thoughts that weren't really hers.

No...stop...stop it...

So much was coming through that Matoko could only comprehend bits and pieces of it.

_Late...so much trouble...school...where did...the book bag?..._

As the pain lessened, Matoko suddenly began to process what was happening. "Mizore!" she shouted through gritted teeth. "Wait a second. You-"

The door swung open, and the mental connections instantly reeled back into Matoko's mind like fishing lines. Unconsciously, she put a hand on her head, trying to ignore the throbbing. Finally, her mind settled down and the pain in her head disappeared.

At the doorway stood a disheveled Mizore. The snow girl looked like she had just gotten out of a shower. She was wearing her usual white buttoned top and black skirt, blotched with water spots. Her azure hair, wet and matted, fell down her back in an uneven mesh. She was busy trying to place a shoe on with the other hanging from her between her teeth. She seemed so preoccupied that she hadn't noticed Matoko's mental struggle.

"Sorry for being late!" Mizore said panic stricken, slipping the last shoe on and dashing out of the room. "Hurry, we can still be on time if we-"

"Mizore, stop!" Matoko jumped in front of Mizore and blocked her path, the lingering dizziness almost causing her to trip. "You aren't going to school today, remember? You're in a week's suspension!"

"...Oh," was all that escaped Yuki-Onna's lips. Suddenly, the memory of the past few days rushed back to her. All the rush and panic that she was emitting deteriorated into embarrassment. "Right..."

"Listen, I just wanted to stop by and make sure you were okay." Matoko looked her friend up and down. "Everything's okay, right? All considering?"

"Yeah," she muttered, unenthused. "Everything's fantastic."

"Ok, well, if you need anything..." Matoko didn't finish her sentence. Her mind flared up again, even worse than before. Her mind instantly connected with Mizore's, and the foreign thoughts and feelings returned.

_Suspension...endless darkness...nightmare...white flowers...black dog..._

_I said STOP IT!_ Using all her energy and willpower, Matoko mentally yanked back, tearing her mind away from Mizore's. Physically, she fell to her knees, breathing heavily. Mizore, too, took a few steps back, shaken and dazed, unsure what had just transpired.

"Ma...Matoko?" Mizore stuttered taking a step forward. "What...just happened...?"

"Stay back!" Matoko snapped, sounding more harshly than she meant. "I'm sorry, I-I need to go!" Brushing her black hair from her face, she unsteadily got to her feet and ran down the dormitory hall.

"Matoko!" But it was too late. The dark girl had already turned the corner and disappeared. Only the echo of her boots remained.

* * *

><p>Matoko ran and ran. She didn't dare stop running. Her mind was still actively searching, mental sonar sending out signals. As soon as she sensed someone within her mental radius, she veered away and darted in another direction.<p>

Finally, she turned around the side of an old school building. After being absolutely sure that no one was near, she sat down, leaning against the building for support. She sat there for several minutes, waiting for her mental radar to give up and return to her. _I need to get to the hospital ward, _she thought, using what little mental strength she had left. But her mind was still going, still reaching out. It was mentally exhausting, draining the last of her energy. And there was nothing Matoko could do about it. _I need...hospital..._

Matoko fell to her side. The mental picture of Mizore's shocked expression in the doorway scarred itself into her mind's eye before everything went black.


	7. The New Teacher

**Ch. 7- The New Teacher**

Mizore sighed as she sat on her beside. Whatever happened with Matoko had left her exhausted, like her mind had just finished a triathlon. It was a struggle not to lie down and pass out. Despite having just woken up a mere thirty minutes ago, she felt like sleeping for hours.

What _had_ happened back there? All Mizore could recall was a knocking on her door earlier, with Matoko standing outside her door, and then everything went blank. Next thing she knew, Matoko was rushing down the dorm hallway. And was that fear Mizore saw on her face?

In retrospect, Matoko never once strayed from her nonchalant behavior. What could have happened that would cause someone like her to become so scared? _Did I do something?_ Self-consciously, Mizore looked herself in the mirror. Her reflection stared right back. Normal.

All these questions swirled in a mental maelstrom. Mizore yawned. _I'll see how she's doing when classes are over, _she decided as she wobbled to her bed, laid herself down and fell into a dreamless sleep.

"Miss Chouku? Can you hear me?" On the white sheeted bed, the girl in the black dress did not stir. Dr. Yuji placed his hand on the girl's forehead. _A slight fever,_ he noted. After a few more failed attempts to awaken the girl, the doctor sighed as he grabbed hold of the white curtain that hung at the bedside. _And here I was thinking I was going to have a quiet day to myself._

There was a knocking on the door as the doctor revolved the white fabric around the patient. Only when the curtains closed did Matoko open her violet eyes. How she came to be in the school infirmary, she didn't know. Did someone find and carry her here? She felt hungry, extremely tired, with a dull headache pulsing in the back of her mind.

_I lost control again,_ she thought in frustration. This wasn't the first occurrence, and Matoko doubted it would be the last. She would feel her psychic powers amp up and overcome her as if, ironically, it had a mind of its own. Like an animal that had been caged up for too long, it would fight and struggle to be released, eventually breaking free. There was no stopping it after that. The phantasmal beast hungered. And there was only one thing to sate it. The only thing Matoko could do was isolate herself until the animal that was her own mind returned to its cage to fight another day. It was like a twisted, never ending game, which Matoko lost every time.

Voices from nearby stole her attention. Even though she was hidden by the curtain, Matoko didn't dare move or make a sound.

"How is she, Dr. Yuji?" A man's voice.

"Ms. Chouku is fine, Headmaster," the doctor said. "A slight fever, but nothing to seriously worry about. She's resting now."

"How long until she wakes?" The same voice, the headmaster, asked.

"I'm not sure. She's out like a light though, so I think she should get some sleep and let this fever cool off."

"Ah, you are easier to trick than you might think, doctor," a female voice put in. "As we speak, I sense that she is, as a matter of fact, awake. I can feel her heart beat faster now that she realizes she is caught in the act."

There were footsteps, and then a zipping sound as the curtain was pulled away. Matoko sat up quickly and faced her visitors. The doctor was holding the curtain. Beside him stood a figure hidden in a priest's habit with, assuming it was male, his face hidden under the hood. To the other side was a young, elegant woman dressed in navy slacks and matching blazer. Her dirty blonde hair was cut short, barely touching her shoulders. A pair of thin framed glasses hung from her nose.

Unnervingly, all three of them were examining Matoko like an animal in the zoo. The doctor was the first to react with a self-conscious cough. "Well, as I said before, she's completely and utterly fine, Headmaster. Do with her as you will."

The hooded man, who Matoko figured was the headmaster, nodded. "Thank you, doctor. We'll be moving Ms. Chouku up to my office shortly." The doctor acknowledged this with a grunt and exited the clinic. The headmaster looked back at Matoko, twin bulbs the only visible objects underneath the white hood. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm…fine," she responded, swinging her legs off the bed.

"Your unusual appearance bothers her, Headmaster," the woman commented, clapping in amusement at the look Matoko was giving her. "Though I doubt I had to tell you that. An exorcist in a school of monsters? Talk about out of place. No offense, of course."

Matoko examined the woman closer. She was dressed like she was on her way to a business meeting. She was obviously not in the least bit Japanese, but her dialect and accent was spot on, as if she had spoken the language all her life. Matoko thought her eyes were rather hawkish, watching Matoko's every move.

"Oh, _please_!" The woman sighed, acting exasperated. "A _hawk_ was the best way you could describe me? I'd imagine myself as an eagle. Or a _falcon_! Yes, a falcon! Beautiful birds of prey, they are."

Matoko was shocked. This woman was reading her mind. _Her_ mind, and Matoko wasn't even aware of it. _Who _was_ this woman?_

On cue, the woman flashed a white, toothy grin. "You're wondering who I am. I am Samantha Jones, but you can call me Ms. Jones for short. I'm a psychic, just like you! I'd offer my hand, but we both know that you wouldn't shake it." She looked down at Matoko with piercing brown eyes through her spectacles, the smile still pasted on her face.

"Another-" Matoko began, but it ended in a gasp for air. Her hand shot to her forehead as a wave of pain erupted. The mental cage was deteriorating, and the animal inside wished to be released. _Again?_ She groaned loudly, feeling the world spinning. It was far too soon. She was still weakened from the earlier meltdown. She wouldn't be able to control it at all now.

"Oh dear," Mrs. Jones clucked. "Still feeling a little under the weather, are we?"

"Ms. Jones…" The headmaster muttered.

"I'm on it, Headmaster." Ms. Jones stepped forward and brought her hand into the air. "I think it's time this girl learned some _manners_!" On the last word, she slapped her hand on Matoko's sweating forehead. Instantaneously, like a hammer blow, the phantasmal beast was thrown back into her mind, her mental powers receding with it. Matoko fell back on the bed, overcome by this sudden containment of active psychological energy.

Slowly, Matoko's vision began to clear. Sitting up, she saw Ms. Jones rubbing her wrist as if it hurt. The headmaster was merely watching them both from the sidelines. "Phew," Ms. Jones said, smiling as if it were her birthday. "Your bite is definitely worse than your bark, I'll give you that, Ms. Chouku."

"What did…what did you do to me?"

Ms. Jones let go of her wrist and straightened her slightly frayed hair. "A small matter. I merely sealed your psychic powers away!" she declared, elated.

"You _what_?"

"She was merely doing you a favor, Ms. Chouku," the headmaster noted. "Tell us, how do you feel now?

Matoko thought about it. "Like my head's been hit with a baseball bat all morning."

"But what about your powers?" Ms. Jones asked, tapping Matoko's forehead. "How is everything up _there_? Still in one piece, I hope?"

"More or less…" Matoko probed her mind. Everything seemed okay. The beast growled like an animal in its new, impenetrable cage. It wasn't breaking free anytime soon. A sort of resounding peace of mind filled her body. In whole, Matoko never felt glanced at the woman still rubbing her wrist with a silly smile.

"Now is not the time for the silly questions you have boiling in your head. We have some important things to discuss with you."

The headmaster nodded in agreement and gestured to the clinic door. "Shall we move this meeting somewhere more private?"

The double doors slammed shut as Matoko stepped into the headmaster's office. The man himself slipped into his seat behind a large, oak wood desk. He seemed to be sitting on a throne, looking down at Matoko, despite the fact that she was still standing. At the headmasters inviting gesture, she stepped forward and sat in the velvet chair facing him. Tall windows stretched high against the walls. The curtains were drawn, which casted a dim, filtered light into the room.

Ms. Jones slinked past Matoko and leaned against a shelf of books to the side, watching her intently like a predator about to pounce on its prey. "I must say, Matoko- you don't mind if I call you Matoko, do you? - It's been a while since I've met someone like you. Such promise and potential you have! You could probably imagine how excited I was when the dear headmaster told me about you." Under Matoko's taciturn expression, she added, "or…you probably couldn't."

Matoko glanced from Ms. Jones to the headmaster and back. "What's your point?" she asked coolly.

"The point is that you are a unique little girl," the headmaster stated, looking over his hands. "One with very powerful psychic abilities. Additionally, one with very little control over those powers. I've been hearing of your mental outbursts these past few months." He reached into his desk and pulled out a folder, which he spread out on his desk and began reading." The first one happened shortly after your welcoming ceremony; nasty way to start the year. The next one occurred a month later, and then two months after that. But I must say the one you had this morning makes the others seem like slight headaches." Closing it, he handed it to Ms. Jones, who read through it earnestly. "It's thanks to Ms. Jones here that that problem shouldn't arise again for a very long time."

"And that's just the tip of the iceberg," Ms. Jones said, not looking up from the file.

"So what's the rest?" Matoko said. It didn't surprise her that the headmaster knew of the previous accidents, but it bothered her nonetheless that other people knew of her lack of control. She didn't show it, but it bothered her even more that Ms. Jones was reading about them like a children's picture book. Matoko just wanted to get the important stuff out of the way so she could get away from this strange woman. "You say that I'm unique. Why? Because I'm a psychic? How does that make me more special above the other monsters here?"

"You know any other people like you or me here?" Ms. Jones asked lightly, closing the folder. "Because I'd very much like to know."

"No, I-"

Ms. Jones caught her off-guard with a sudden gasp and a look of surprise and shame. "Oh…You don't know, do you? Forgive me; I didn't know you didn't know."

"Didn't know _what_? And stop reading my mind!"

The headmaster cleared his throat. "Back to the matter at hand, if you please." Ms. Jones looked back to the headmaster, the strange look on her face replaced by her usual aloofness. "Matoko, the seal Ms. Jones placed on you is only temporary. I have assigned her as your personal mentor to train you on how to maintain control over your powers."

"Yup!" Ms. Jones said, mistaking Matoko's expression for pleasant surprise. "We're going to have lots of fun together, you and I!" Fun was the last thing Matoko expected to have when around her. "So what do you say, Matoko?"

Matoko repeatedly glanced between the two adults waiting for her answer. This_ is it,_ Matoko thought. She was being provided with a chance to have control over her powers. Over her _life_. She wouldn't have to read other people's thoughts or memories. She wouldn't have moments when her powers went completely out of control. She could be with Mizore, her one true friend, without fear of losing her trust or friendship. And all she had to do was learn it all from Ms. Jones…

Swallowing her rising agitation, she kept her expression clear of emotion as she nodded. "That sounds great, Ms. Jones. When can we start?"

"Immediately!" Ms. Jones grabbed Matoko's wrist and half-pulled-half-dragged her toward the door. "I already have a vacant classroom reserved just for us!"

"Happy training, Matoko." The headmaster said, giving a slight wave. It didn't take a mind reader to tell that the he was smiling beneath that hood of his.


	8. Allies

**Ch. 8- Allies**

***THREE MONTHS AGO***

The tall double doors of the palace slowly swung closed as Tsurara silently entered. Looking around the vast grand hall to the elegant staircase on the far side, she noticed she was alone. No, she was not alone. Another woman was waiting for her, at the base of the stairs.

Without looking away from the woman, Tsurara moved closer, taking long strides toward the other side. She stopped about ten feet from the stairs, waited, then bowed. "You have summoned me, my Snow Priestess?"

The other woman, the Snow Priestess, simply dipped her head. "Tsurara, thank you for coming on such short notice."

"Think nothing of it," Tsurara replied graciously. A messenger had arrived at her house only fifteen minutes ago concerning the urgent summons. Unfortunately, he had stumbled upon her when she was test firing her numerous snow weapons behind the house. After treating the messenger of any possibly fatal wounds and storing her weapons, she jumped on her prized snowmobile and was gone in a flash.

"I'll get right to the point, then." The Snow Priestess's eyes misted over, as if she was remembering a fragrant dream. "I have seen a vision. One that concerns your daughter."

* * *

><p>Mizore was sitting in the snow, gazing over the hillside. A slight breeze cut through the air, but she hardly noticed. Far down at the bottom was a small village of humans. If any of them were to look up the hill, they'd have to search really hard to find the speck that was Mizore. But she saw them clearly. She saw the lights within the houses and the black smoke curling from the chimneys. She saw the humans walking around, wrapped in their thick coats, trying to keep warm. She saw them talk to each other, and help with whatever tasks they were busying themselves with.<p>

There was only one who she was looking for. She had been looking for this one human for a long time. But no matter how many times she returned to this spot, no matter how long she waited, she never saw him.

Mizore thought of her own village. Hidden from the human eye, secluded, and pure white as the landscape that surrounded it. To other snow people, it was home. It was paradise. To Mizore, it was home. But also a prison. One that she wanted to escape from so badly…

In the distance, she could hear Tsurara calling her name, wanting to talk to her. With a last longing look at the human village, Mizore stood and walked toward her mother, who was searching for her on the opposite side of the hill.

When they arrived at their own house, Tsurara prepared some herbal tea while Mizore waited in the living room, her mind still set on the human village. It had been almost eight years now, since she had last seen him. She had come to that spot by the sacred field of Snow Whites frequently, where the two had last met. Hoping that he would be there, waiting for her like he always had. He never came.

When Tsurara entered the room, she placed a cup of steaming tea in front of Mizore, but she neither acknowledged her nor reached for the cup. Tsurara took a moment to sip her own tea. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"I'm fine," she lied. "Just went for a walk."

_No small talk then,_ Tsurara thought. _Might as well get straight to the point._ "Mizore, I wanted to talk to you about something I heard."

"Mom," Mizore interrupted, looking down the hall at a slightly open door, "is there someone sleeping in the quest's room? You didn't tell me we had guests."

"Of course not, dear," Tsurara said patiently. "I just have one of my ice doppelgangers in there tidying up." In fact, one doppelganger quickly formed behind the room door and quickly shut it, hiding the recovering messenger with covered in bandages.

"Hmm." Mizore cast a suspicious look at the door before giving a light shrug. "Anyway, you were saying?"

Tsurara smiled. "I was saying I heard some interesting things about a unique school. It's a school for monsters, called Yokai Academy."

* * *

><p>***ONE WEEK LATER***<p>

From a window in the palace, the Snow Priestess watched as a yellow bus appeared out of nowhere and plowed through the snow. From the village, two yuki-onna emerged and walked toward it. The Snow Priestess knew them to be Tsurara and Mizore. As she watched them draw closer to the vehicle, she recalled the memory of her informing Tsurara of the vision.

""I'll get right to the point," she had said. "I have received a vision, one that concerns your daughter. I have seen a school well hidden from the eyes of man. One for beings different from humans, which Mizore will attend."

Tsurara eyed the Snow Priestess, waiting for more. But she said nothing else, which slightly irked Tsurara. Her past prophecies were normally more vivid and clear than this. "There was nothing else?"

"This vision was merely a possible future for your daughter," she explained. "One that may turn fruitful in her later years." Her eyes became hard. "I want you to tell her of this vision. But let me be clear, Tsurara, that this is _not_ a typical prophecy, set in the stone tablet of Fate. This is a choice that she and she alone should make."

Tsurara bowed. "I understand, Snow Priestess. I'll notify her of this immediately."

But even to the Snow Priestess, the fact that the vision showed so little bothered her.

Now, looking down from the palace high in the hills, she watched as Mizore entered the bus. The bus slugged through the snow for a few seconds, and then vanished in a blink of an eye.

A moment later, the priestess had another vision. She found herself in a field of white. Endless white. And it wasn't snow, but flowers. Upon closer inspection, she realized that some of them were the sacred Snow Whites. An entire field mixed with Snow Whites and ordinary flowers as far as the eye could see. And just like that, the vision ended, and the Snow Priestess found herself back in her palace.

_Another vision? For her? _The Snow Priestess looked back at the area where the bus disappeared. _Farewell, Mizore Shirayuki. The fates seem to have much in store for you._

* * *

><p>***PRESENT DAY***<p>

It was around noon when Mizore awoke in her dorm room. There was no point in taking another shower, and she was still in her school uniform. She sat up on her bed, rubbing the last bits of sleep from her eyes. Whatever had fatigued her earlier was now gone. In fact, she felt a little better than she had in days. _Suspension isn't all that bad when you get to sleep in, _she reasoned.

When the headmaster had sentenced her for a week of suspension, he had explained that the limitations of where she could and could not go. She was to stay in her dorm room until the end of the school day, and not bother the students or teachers in the school grounds. Ms. Ririko had voiced her disapproval at such a light punishment, but the headmaster did not change his mind, stating that it was a suitable punishment.

Mizore needed to talk to Matoko. And she wasn't going to wait until school was over to see her. Mizore glanced at the alarm clock by her bed. 12:06 PM. Students were normally released for lunch in about fifteen minutes ago. There was a grove past the graveyard to the side of the female dorms where the two always went to eat. Most students preferred eating closer to the school anyway, which meant nobody would disturb them. _Matoko's probably there by now._ This was the best chance she had to talk to her, but she would have to hurry.

After grabbing two bento boxes from the fridge, Mizore dashed to the door and stepped outside.

_Bonk!_

…Only to collide into someone and fall back on her rear. Mizore winced as her head throbbed from the impact.

"Me~owr," she heard the other person say. "That hurt!"

In the hallway, Mizore's homeroom teacher was also on the ground, rubbing her blond head.

"Ms. Nekonome!" Mizore quickly stood up and helped the teacher stand. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she said, straightening her pink framed glasses and dusting off her cardigan. "Sorry about that! I was just about to knock on the door when you came rushing out! Talk about perfect timing."

"I'm sorry!" she apologized hastily. "I didn't realize you were there."

Ms. Nekonome's cat-tail twitched dismissively as she started licking her scraped hand. "Forget about it, dear."

"So…you wanted to see me?"

Ms. Nekonome purred. "Yup! I have a message from the headmaster. He wanted you to know that, despite your recent suspension, you are allowed to roam the campus grounds for today. He only wishes you to not go near the school buildings and disturb the students and staff."

"Really?" Mizore asked. She couldn't believe her luck. Now she had permission to leave the dormitory and see Matoko. "Since it is lunch break, may I go see Matoko?"

"That would be completely fine," Ms. Nekonome said, "but I believe Ms. Chouku is not available at the moment."

"What do you mean?"

The cat-teacher tapped her chin with a manicured finger, thinking. "Let's see…The headmaster told me she was in the infirmary this morning…"

"What?" Mizore said, the memory of Matoko running down this same hall earlier flashing in her mind. "Did she get into an accident? Is she okay?"

"She's just fine, dear. She was checked out about an hour later, completely healthy. The headmaster mentioned she was going to be preoccupied with 'private lessons' for the rest of the day."

"Private lessons?"

"Yup! But she'll be out around the time school ends, so I'm sure you can talk to her then." Ms. Nekonome looked at Mizore with concern. "Is everything alright, Ms. Shirayuki?"

"I'm fine," Mizore said, puzzled by her concern.

"Look, I talked to the headmaster after heard about what happened in the class yesterday. I told him that you were a really nice person, and that you wouldn't attack another student without good reason. He seemed to understand, and he sent me to give you that message."

_She said that?_ Mizore thought, surprised that Ms. Nekonome would defend her like that. She had always thought her cat-teacher rather dim and a bit clumsy.

"I have also been noticing for a while now that you tend to be rather distant toward the other students. I know you can be rather shy at times. Is anyone picking on you?"

Mizore stayed silent. This wasn't a topic she wanted to talk about. Even though Ms. Nekonome had proven herself worthy of her trust, she didn't want to confide in her about this.

Sensing her hesitation, Ms. Nekonome pressed on. "Even though this is a school for monsters, bullying of any kind is not allowed. You can tell me if there is something wro-"

"Ms. Nekonome," Mizore cut in. "As you said, I'm simply shy at times. There is nothing wrong."

The cat teacher's tail twitched, taken aback by Mizore's sudden frostiness. "Alright, then. I understand coming in midway through the school year may seem daunting, but give Yokai Academy a chance; you won't regret it."

They both turned toward the sound of the school bell, indicating the end of lunch period. "Oh, I must be off! I'll be stopping by throughout the week in case you need anything. Don't hesitate to ask if you need someone to talk to, okay?"

"Thank you, Ms. Nekonome. I'll come to you in case I need anything."

With a satisfied nod and a caring smile, Ms. Nekonome turned on her heel and walked away, tail waving behind her. Mizore shut the door and leaned against it. _What have I done?_ she thought. _Ms. Nekonome was only concerned about me. She actually seems to be the only one, besides Matoko, who cares. Apparently, the headmaster understands too, to an extent. So why did I reject her like that?_

_Because this isn't her problem, _she argued with herself. _This is something I must deal with. Besides, what can she do? Things would only get worse if the other students knew I told a teacher._

She stood up and picked up the bento boxes, which were scattered when she ran into Ms. Nekonome. _So Matoko went to the infirmary this morning? Apparently she's alright, since she checked out shortly afterward. But what kind of private lessons is she taking? _Mizore cursed under her breath. _Now I can't see her for several more hours. What I am I going to do until then?_

She walked toward the fridge and opened the door. She was about to place Matoko's box back inside when she stopped, struck by another thought. Instead, she closed the fridge and, with both bento boxes in hand, she left the dormitory building and jogged toward the main gate.


	9. Bento For Two

**Ch. 9- Bento For Two**

"What is that?" Matoko asked, eying the sickly green box in Ms. Jones' hand.

"Relax," Ms. Jones cooed, waving the box around. "It's just a bento box. Can't have you training on an empty stomach, you know."

Matoko hesitantly took the box, trying to ignore her rumbling belly. Because she had been in the infirmary all morning, she didn't get the chance to eat breakfast. Even so, she didn't like the fact that she had to take whatever this woman was offering.

After seeing the Headmaster, Ms. Jones had dragged Matoko to an empty classroom. Abandoned seemed to be a better word. What remained of the student desks were strewn in broken stacks against the walls. Some were broken, melted, burned, sliced, bitten from, covered in some smelly goo, and some destroyed by a combination of means. Only a rusted chair and a rickety wooden teacher's desk remain in one piece.

As if that wasn't enough, the walls themselves were an atrocity to themselves. The wallpaper was cracked and peeling badly. Cobwebs dangled from all four corners of the ceiling. What seemed to be dried red paint streaked behind the door to across the wall._Blood._

A small chill shot up Matoko's spine. This room obviously had some nasty history.

The only plus was that there was a single window. Immediately upon entering, Ms. Jones opened it, only to find sturdy, metal bars on the outside.

"Well, at least we can get some fresh air and sunlight," Ms. Jones said cheerfully. "The headmaster sure was generous to give us this room. All the other ones are used for classes and clubs and such. At least in here, we shouldn't be disturbed!" As an afterthought, she added "I think he mentioned this room used to be a torture chamber…or for a home economics class." She shrugged.

After giving the bento box to Matoko, Ms. Jones sat on the teacher's desk, opening her own pink box. "Itadakimasu!" she muttered, and then giggled. "Oh ho, I just _love_the Japanese language! It's sharp and precise, and it kind rolls of the tongue, but not as much as French does."

Matoko eyed the giggling woman with a mixture of curiosity and annoyance. "How many languages can you speak, Ms. Jones?"

Ms. Jones counted out loud with her fingers. "I am fluent in English, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Spanish, French, Russian, Swedish, German, Latin, Arabian…" she trailed off, lost in count. She noticed Matoko's slack-jawed expression of surprise and laughed self-consciously. "Well, when you travel as much as I have, you tend to pick up a few things. Plus, it's rather difficult to read someone's mind when you can't even understand their mental language!" With that, Ms. Jones grabbed her chop sticks and started eating away.

Inside her own box, Matoko had some pieces of sushi, and eggroll, and a small container of soup. With a cautious whiff, she instantly held the box as far away from her as she could as if it were poison.

Ms. Jones was about to take a bit out of her own eggroll when she noticed her student's reaction. "What's wrong? You don't like salmon sushi?"

"I'm a vegetarian." Ever since she realized she had psychic abilities, Matoko couldn't bring herself to eat meat. Not after reading the minds of animals. Although their minds were only capable of primitive thoughts, such as _eat_, _sleep_, _run_, and _fly_, she couldn't bring herself to do it. It felt no different than eating humans, not that she ever had.

Ms. Jones nodded in understanding. "Ah, I forget that some psychics refuse to eat meat. Here, switch with me. It's a veggie box, and I don't mind fish."

"Thank you." Matoko traded the lunches, and began eating. While she ate, she stole a few glances at her new teacher. By looking at her face, she guessed that woman was English, possibly American. It was difficult to tell, the way she composed herself and the precise way she spoke Japanese. This woman held many secrets. And she was a psychic, far more powerful and experienced than Matoko was. No doubt that her own mind, under the influence of Ms. Jones, was an open book to be read at her leisure.

_I'll play her game, but only until I have gained enough training to survive._

Out loud, she asked, "Ms. Jones, back in the office, you said there was something I didn't know about psychics."

Ms. Jones swallowed a piece of sushi whole. "There are a lot of things you don't know about yourself, let alone psychics in general."

"But you looked taken aback when you realized I didn't know about something."

Ms. Jones sighed, setting aside her half-eaten bento box. "Fine. Let me start by asking you this: Yokai Academy is a school built for monsters to learn how to adapt in the human word, correct? Why would they have to do that? Why do monsters have to live in secret from the humans?"

"Because humans fear monsters," was Matoko's answer.

"And why do humans fear monsters?"

"Because…" Matoko thought for a second. "Because monsters are different from humans."

Ms. Jones nodded. "Did you know that psychics, despite having heightened mental powers, are not really monsters? Oh, we are human, you and I. One hundred percent human."

Matoko tilted her head. "Explain."

"Any normal, ordinary human can only access ten to twenty percent of their brain power. Psychics? We are capable of much more than that. That's the only difference. What makes us _special_ is the fact that we're born with a power only a chosen few can harness."

"Chosen few?" Matoko repeated. _Is that sadness I see in her eyes_? "How many psychics are there?"

Ms. Jones looked away and stared into space. "Currently, less than a hundred psychics are known to exist in the world today."

Matoko's eyes drifted to the floor as the news sank in. _Less than a hundred?_ She thought, shock crawling under her skin_. That's such a small number._ _Does that mean I'm a member of an endangered species?_

The momentary sadness in Ms. Jones vanished as quickly as it appeared. "Now you know how important it was for me to find you. It is rare for a psychic to be born into this world. For instance, if you were to have a child with a normal human, even another psychic, the chances of the child having the same powers is slim to none. Psychics are born with this ability in a seemingly random fashion. For example, you were found here in Japan; in a few years, if we're lucky, another could pop up in France, Kenya, Brazil, China, United States, or anywhere else on the globe."

"How do you know when a psychic is born?" Matoko asked.

"We don't," Ms. Jones said, shaking her head. "That mental outburst you had this morning? I'm sure that wasn't the first time something like that happened. It happens to every child, from the time they're about seven years old. Those discharges of mental energy act as signals for us to track."

"Is that how you found me?"

Ms. Jones shook her head again. "The paling that separates this world from the human world blocks your mental beacons. I wouldn't have known you were here if the Headmaster hadn't notified me." She grabbed her bento box and continued eating. "How old are you, anyway?"

"I'll be seventeen in a few months."

Ms. Jones eyebrow rose. "I'm impressed. Without instruction, most people's powers go completely haywire around the age of fifteen. Not a pretty sight, I assure you."

"I…see." Matoko stared at her half-eaten lunch, no longer hungry.

It wasn't long after Mizore stepped foot into the flower field when a small, familiar animal came bounding up and down like a dolphin. A shiver ran down Mizore's spine as the puppy approached, the memory of her transforming into a shadow beast and chasing Ashiyo was still fresh. Shadow stopped a foot short in front of her, wagging her tail back and forth.

"Hey, Shadow," Mizore said, slowly extending a hand and trying to stop it from shaking. The dog's tail swinging stopped, eyes focused on her hand. Before she could withdraw, Shadow sniffed it and licked it felt herself relax, dropping to her knees and scratching behind one of the ears._ You know, she's kind of cute, if you don't expect her to transform into a giant monster._ Shadow's nostrils bounced up and down as she leaned closer to the bento boxes in Mizore's other hand.

"No," she said firmly, holding the boxes in the air. "Not for you." Shadow's ears drooped, eyes growing big. "_Not for you_. Do you know where Yusuke is?"

The dog looked up at her, head tilted to the side. "Yu-su-ke," she tried, slower. This time, the dog walked away through the flowers, pausing to look back. Mizore stood up. "You're going to take me to him? Okay, lead the way."

A minute passed as Mizore was guided through the endless field of white. The flower buds were so high that Shadow slid underneath them, almost completely camouflaged. She even lost sight of Shadow once or twice, only to see her black tail pop up a few feet away.

_Now that I look at it, this place kind of looks like the snow fields back home,_ she thought, head turning in every direction. _White as far as the eye can see. It also reminds me of the sacred Snow Whites…_

Attached to that chain of thought was the memory of several years ago, back in the village of the snow people. And certain secret meetings at the sacred flower grounds… with a certain human boy.

"_You're a monster! You're going to eat me, aren't you?"_

"_You're a monster!"_

"_Monster!"_

A pang of sadness punctured Mizore's heart, as the voice echoed continuously. She shook her head, trying to sever the chain of thoughts.

Mizore stopped when she reached the edge of the field, which cut off abruptly into a cliff. She had lost track of Shadow again. Looking around, Mizore couldn't see or hear her. "Shadow!" she called. No response. "Great. Where'd that little mutt go?"

"If you're talking about Shadow, she's right here."

Yusuke watched Mizore turn around in surprise. Shadow sat next to his leg, panting smugly. "Hello, again."

"You sure like to pop out of nowhere a lot," she remarked, instantly wishing she could take the words back.

The young man raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment. "You came here to see me for something?"

"I…um," Mizore said, trying to recover from her unintended rudeness. "I brought lunch."

Yusuke eyed her coolly. "I said you could come here whenever you wanted. I don't need any sort of repayment."

"If you must know, they were originally for a friend, but I couldn't catch her." Mizore raised the two bentos, copying his indifferent look. "Thought it'd be a waste to just throw one away…"

A clap of thunder resounded in the sky. Mizore looked up, watching massive rain clouds rolling overhead. A single raindrop splashed on her forehead. Seconds later, many more steadily fell like bombs, bursting on impact.

"This storm is about to break." Yusuke was watching the sky too. "From the looks of it, it's going to get bad. We should get some shelter before that happens." He looked back at Mizore. "I'll take you to my house."

"Your house?" Mizore asked.

"Yes. At the rate the storm is developing, you're not going to make it back to the Academy without getting thoroughly soaked." He gave Mizore a quizzical look. "I doubt a snow girl like you would catch a cold, but it beats staying out here anyway. Follow me."

From under an awning, a single student watched as the storm finally broke, his arm propped against a pillar. A streak of lightning zipped through the clouds, and he felt a flash of excitement. His fingers tingled, as if he was feeling the electricity jolt his body. The constant downpour fell in an insanely rapid pace. The student's heart began to speed up, trying to match the tempo of the rain.

"Ryuu?"

A familiar voice behind him forced him to return back to reality. "Shouldn't you be in class, Ishiku?"

Ishiku giggled, wrapping his un-propped arm with both of hers. "I could ask the same for you, Mr. Student President." She watched as another jolt of lightning flashed. "You are so predictable, you know. Whenever there's a storm, I always find you watching it. Even if you have to cut class to do it."

Ryuu chuckled, brushing a lock of dark hair from his eyes. "Yeah, it has become a bit of a habit, hasn't it?"

"That's what I love about you, Ryuu. No matter what position you gain or higher standard you set for yourself, you just can't help that little rebel inside you." Ishiku rested her head on his shoulder. "Ryuu, you are mine forever. And I'll never let anyone else have you, no matter what."

She leaned over to kiss him, but he turned his head, his face showing that he was troubled. "What is it?"

"Ishiku, you know I don't approve of your methods."

Ishiku withdrew slightly, looking haughty. "Are you still upset about the blue haired freshman girl? It's only what she deserves for what she did."

"She was hardly _doing_ anything wrong," he pointed out, his tone icy.

"That little whore was confessing to you!"

"Enough!" Ryuu said with finality. "I am the President of the entire student body, and I will not allow you to harm anyone for things so _trivial_." He looked at his girlfriend, brushing her cheek softly. "Honestly, you can be so obsessive at times. Can't you see that you are the only one I care for? You have to trust me when I say that no one else would ever come between us, Ishiku."

"Oh, Ryuu," Ishiku said, eyes shining. "I wish I could just sprout wings and fly us both into the storm. No one would dare disturb us there."

Ryuu laughed. "As much as I'd like that, just because we're monsters doesn't mean we're lightning proof. Just let me deal with things like that, alright? I can handle things by myself you know." He gave her a swift kiss. After they separated, Ishiku leaned forward, wanting more. But Ryuu's attention was back on the storm. In actuality, he was watching something across the grounds. "What is that?" he asked, eyes widening.

In the rain, three paramedics were running across the mud toward them. As they grew closer, Ryuu noticed that two of them were carrying a stretcher, covered by a black sheet. Once under the awning, the third man opened the door leading inside. Ryuu stepped forward and grabbed the shoulder of the one holding the door. "Excuse me; please tell me what's going on. Has there been an accident?"

The paramedic looked at Ryuu, his expression grave. "We found a girl covered in severe burns in the woods. The wounds aren't fatal, but she must receive medical immediately or she might not make it." To the others he said, "Get her to the infirmary, stat!"

As the two with the stretcher walked briskly inside, something dangled from under the black sheet. It was an arm, the skin blackened and blistered. But it quickly disappeared from view as the medics hustled inside.

Ryuu looked after them in concern. "Oh my," he whispered. "I hope whoever that was is going to be alright."

Ishiku was still clutching his arm. "Don't worry. You heard what the guy said. She wasn't fatally injured. I'm sure she'll be okay."

"I hope so." He glanced at his watch. "We'd better get back to class. This event could bring teachers out, and it'd be better to avoid trouble, okay?"

"Okay," Ishiku agreed. "See you after classes?"

"Promise." The two embraced and kissed, longer this time, and walked in opposite directions. Ishiku glanced over her shoulder and watched as Ryuu disappeared around the corner.

_Sorry, Ryuu,_ she thought. _But there is no way_ _I'm not going to risk losing you to anyone. If that means I have to use extreme measures, so be it. Speaking of extreme measures…_ Ishiku thought back to the paramedics and the blackened hand._ Poor Ashiyo. That girl just had to follow that little ice whore and cause some trouble. But she couldn't even do something so simple. Running back, screaming about some "dark monster". Those who can't do what they're told deserve to be severely punished._

The senior girl's thoughts traced back to the freshman snow girl. _I wonder if she learned her lesson from that first time…Well, it doesn't hurt to be sure. At least for me it won't. _Her lips curled into a smile. _Time to raise the stakes._


	10. Mizore's First Day

_Author's Note:__ I'd like to take a moment to thank to Juan and Dross263 for their reviews. Each one provides more and more motivation to the table, which will ultimately lead to the conclusion of this story…but Mizore still has a long road ahead of her! Please continue R&R-ing!_

_And no, Juan, Mizore didn't get struck by "lightning". The one who was carried away was Ashiyo. Just to clear that up. Mizore ain't so weak to be injured/killed off so easily._

_And with this, ladies and gentlemen, the chapters move to the double digits, and the 20K word count is reached!_

_As one of the readers suggested, feel free to youtube "Rainy Mood" while reading this chapter; it did add a nice touch to it.  
><em>

**Ch. 10- Mizore's First Day**

"Are you going to come in, Ms. Shirayuki?" Yusuke asked, "Or are you going to stay out there in the rain?"

Mizore stepped inside, failing to shield her amazement. "You live in here?"

Yusuke shrugged. "People would have a very hard time finding this place, and I'm never far off from my field. It might not be much, but to me, it's home."

Mizore had to agree that people would have a hard time finding this. Alongside the edge of the cliff was a thin series of steps extending from the edge of the cliff face. It curved so sharply underneath, she would have easily missed it if Yusuke hadn't guided her to it. The stairwell slithered down the cliff a solid twenty feet until finally stopping at the entrance of a cave, a place which Yusuke was now calling his home.

The cave itself was almost the size of the school gymnasium. Mizore estimated that it could fit around seventy people easy. Everything was a solid, dark brown rock, but the floor felt soft and smooth underneath her feet. There was even a hole in the rock wall that served as a small window, though the view was darkened by the sheets of rainfall.

The only thing out of place was a bare, worn mattress lying in the far corner. Beside them where several plastic bags. Yusuke reached into one of the bags and grabbed a handful of dried dog food, which he poured on top of a pile of old newspapers. Shadow entered in behind Mizore, who only had a moment to step away before the dog shook herself dry, before plopping on a pile of newspapers in the corner, greedily chomping away.

Reaching into another bag, Yusuke pulled out two cans of soda. "Hope you don't mind warm soda." He tossed one to Mizore, who dropped the bento boxes to free her hands.

"Hang on, give me yours for a second," Mizore said, holding her other hand out. Yusuke handed over his soda and watched as both cans quickly began to cool. "Hope you don't mind them cold."

He took the can back and opened it with a hiss, releasing a cool mist. "Huh, that's useful," he commented with a nod. Taking one of the bentos that Mizore dropped, he sat a few feet from Shadow, who was still stuffing her face. As he opened his box, Yusuke muttered "Itadakimasu" and began eating.

Mizore merely stared at her own, unopened lunch. _Yeah, thanks for the food,_ she thought. _And…thanks for letting me not eat alone._

Yusuke stopped eating, glancing at her. "What's wrong? Not hungry?"

"No. It's nothing," she said, opening her own box and quickly started munching on her food.

"This is pretty good," he said, taking a bite of a veggie bun. "Did you make this yourself?"

Mizore shook her head. "These were premade in a store. I not very good at cooking."

Yusuke acknowledged this with a nod. He looked toward the mouth of the cave. "The storm is worse than I originally thought. I don't think you'll be able to return to class on time."

"That's not a problem. I was suspended yesterday."

"Is that right?" he murmured, taking a swig of soda. "What happened?"

As Mizore expected, he was about to start a salvo of uncomfortable questions. _I came here so I wouldn't have to dwell on it, _she thought crossly. "It's nothing I can't handle."

Yusuke was silent for a moment. "Ms. Shirayuki…Mizore." This caught her off guard. "I could tell from the start that you need to get something off your chest." His normally critical eyes had softened, as if he actually cared. "It'll help if you talk about it, I promise."

Mizore hesitated. All this tension and doubt that has been broiling in her mind for the past few days. It felt like it was going to burst out of her at any moment. Could she trust him? "It's a long story," she dodged, but it sounded weak.

He simply gestured toward the mouth of the cave. "Time is on our side today."

Mizore looked from him back to her lunch. Maybe it would help. She took a deep breath. _Where to begin?_ "It…it all started when I first arrived here to Yokai Academy…"

* * *

><p>***THREE MONTHS AGO***<p>

"It's nice to meet you, Ms. Shirayuki!" a welcoming Ms. Nekonome greeted.

"Likewise," Mizore said curtly, shaking her hand. "Are you a teacher here?"

"I am! My name is Shizuka Nekonome, and I will be your homeroom teacher."

"Homeroom teacher," Mizore repeated. "That mean's your my main teacher throughout the year, right?"

"That's right," Nekonome said, looking at her curiously. "Have you never attended a school before?"

Mizore shook her head, explaining that she had been "homeschooled". Tsurara had spent some time in the previous week to educate Mizore on the know-how about schools, as Mizore had never been to one before.

"Well, that's no problem then!" Nekonome stated encouragingly. "Even though it's the middle of 2nd term, you'll learn quickly enough. School life here isn't hard at all to get used to. Now, if you would please follow me, I'll give you a tour of the Academy."

"Wait," Mizore said suddenly. "I was told Yokai Academy was a school for…"

"Monsters?" Nekonome finished.

"Yeah, for monsters. I don't mean to be rude, Ms. Nekonome, but why is a human guiding me into the Academy?" Mizore gave a once over on the teacher, seeing nothing _monstrous_ about her.

But instead of being offended, the teacher laughed. "Oh, my. I'm not a human at all!" Something appeared behind her head. A tail. A yellow, white tipped tail. Mizore watched as it swung back and forth behind the woman's back. She began to notice the some of the other details; her golden blond hair with twin tufts that resembled ears, the collar around her neck with a bell attached, and the way she bent her wrists when she talked. And the tail. "See?" Nekonome grinned. "I'm just as Yokai as you are."

"I…see." Mizore said, still withholding the word _monstrous_ from the list of words to describe her.

Nekonome clapped her hands together. "Oh, that reminds me. I need to tell you our most important rule here. As you may know, the main purpose of this academy is to allow monsters like you and I to learn how to live in the world of humans. To establish this, everyone must stay in their human forms."

She held her arms out. "Is this human enough?"

"That's just fine, dear. Although," Nekonome looked at Mizore's white blue-sleeved sweatshirt and similar skirt, "you're going to need a few school uniforms. But those can be bought at the shopping district later today. Now on with the tour!"

However, the pair had only just entered through the main campus gate when someone approached them. He was a tall, muscular (man?) with blond hair, dressed in complete sweatpants and shirt. "Ms. Nekonome, there you are!"

"Mr. Kotsubo?" Nekonome said. "You were looking for me?"

Kotsubo, who easily towered over the cat teacher, scowled. "Don't you remember the staff board meeting is today? Announcements about it have been sent out for the past week, and it's going to start in ten minutes."

Nekonome nearly coughed out a fur ball. "Oh no, I completely forgot about it!" She looked at Mizore, unsure. "But I need to give Ms. Shirayuki the tour around the academy."

Kotsubo glanced at Mizore. "Seeing as you must go to the meeting, maybe I should take over and escort her for you?" Perhaps it was the way his eyes slowly scoped every part of her body, or the way his lips were curled into a smile. Whatever the reason, a chill went up Mizore's spine, a rarity for a yukionna. Going on a tour with this guy was definitely not a good idea.

Thankfully, Nekonome gave Kotsubo a quizzical look. "But don't you have to go too? Seeing as you represent the physical education department of the school?"

Kotsubo's eyes unlatched from Mizore to Nekonome, and they weren't happy. "I can get one of the other coaches to do it for me."

But the cat-teacher shook her head, making the bell on her collar jingle rather comically. "That won't do, Mr. Kotsubo. You can't miss this meeting any more than I can!"

Kotsubo's look turned dangerous. "Then what would you suggest?"

Ms. Nekonome thought for a moment, all the while Mizore silently prayed. _Please don't leave me with him! Please don't leave me with him! Please don't leave me with him_! Suddenly, the cat teacher suggests "I can get the Student President to give her the tour!"

At first, Kotsubo seems like he's going to violently reject the idea and snatch Mizore away. Instead, his anger vanishes from his face and is replaced by cool indifference. "Fine then, just make it quick so you're not late for that meeting!" Then he walked away back toward the school.

Mizore just had enough time to thank her lucky snowflakes when Ms. Nekonome beckoned for her to follow. "Ms. Nekonome?" she asked. "Who was that?"

"That was Okuto Kotsubo; he's the head physical education teacher here." Mizore made a mental note to, if she could help it, avoid any gym classes for the next few school years.

A few doors and hallways later, Nekonome stopped at a classroom. With a swift knock, she popped her head in. "Excuse me," Mizore heard her say, "May I borrow Mr. Arashito for a few minutes?"

Mizore peered into the classroom through the window. Inside, the class was completely filled with humans in sea green uniforms. _No, not humans._ Mizore thought, recalling the one big rule. _They're just like me. We're just_ _monsters that look like humans._ For some reason, the word monster just didn't roll off her tongue the right way. _Kotsubo, maybe…but not me._

"Ms. Shirayuki," Nekonome said. "I'd like you to meet the student body president!"

Mizore turned and found herself looking into pair of striking violet eyes, set in a lightly toned face, framed with flowing locks of black hair. He gave a curt nod, and revealed perfect white teeth when he spoke. "Nice to meet you, Shirayuki Mizore. I'm Ryuu Arashito." She swallowed, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

Mizore fought to keep her voice level. "M-Mizore Shirayuki."

"Anyway," Nekonome was saying, "I've got to run so I'm not late for the staff meeting. Would you please give Ms. Shirayuki a quick tour of the Academy grounds?"

He turned to the cat teacher. "Of course, Ms. Nekonome. I'd be happy to show Yokai's newest student around." With a thankful nod, Nekonome walked briskly down the hall and out of sight.

Mizore suddenly wished that Ms. Nekonome was still there. When Ryuu looked back at her, she felt like melting. "Now then, shall we go?"

For the next half hour, Ryuu escorted Mizore around the campus, pointing out all the important buildings and areas. She noticed that Ryuu hardly smiled, but his voice revealed a soft and gentle personality. Everywhere they went, he tried telling her about all the great things about the school. If he had told her it was a common past-time to dig your own grave in the nearby graveyard and lay in it for a few hours, she would have done it without a second thought.

But Mizore wasn't listening to the amazing things about the school. Instead, she just kept her eyes to her feet, hoping that she wasn't blushing.

When they arrived at the female dormitory building, Ryuu finished off by saying, "Well, that's about it, Ms. Shirayuki. Was there anything else you'd like to know about the academy?"

She suddenly didn't want him to leave. "Well, I…uh…"

"You're a snow girl, right?" The question had caught her completely off guard. Ryuu quickly added, "Forgive me, I know the rule about maintaining human form and not telling anyone about your real self."

"How did you know?" _Are all yukionna's blundering idiots?_

"I've seen your village before. I…used to travel a lot when I was younger, you see."

_If any of the snow women of my village saw you, there'd be a bloodbath on who'd get to marry you first._

"Anyway," Ryuu said, "Ms. Nekonome told me this was your first time away from home. Is the change in climate affecting you at all?"

"No, I'm fine. It's nothing I can't get used to."

Ryuu smiled, and Mizore's heart did a little flip. "That's good to know. I can suggest to Ms. Nekonome to have your room outfitted with extra air-conditioning, if you'd like. Mid-August heat could really get to you if your not acclimatized." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded slip of paper. "Here, this is your class schedule, starting on Monday. Your classes are all around the West Wing of the campus, just like I showed you."

"Thanks," she said, taking the schedule and wishing she had paid more attention to the tour.

"If there is anything else you can possibly need to make your stay here easier, Ms. Shirayuki," he implored, grabbing her hand with both of his. "Please, don't hesitate to ask me. Being president of the student body has its advantages." Blushing. Mizore was sure that her face was beet red. But before Mizore could relish in the moment any longer, Ryuu walked back toward the main building.

With her hand still in the air, as if held there by a puppeteer's string, Mizore watched him go. Her heart continued to run on nitro mode for several seconds. Slowly, she brought her outstretched hand to her heart, unable to stop smiling.

Her decision on coming to Yokai Academy was definitely the best choice she had ever made in her entire life.

* * *

><p>***PRESENT DAY***<p>

"But it didn't turn out so great in the end, did it?" Yusuke asked, head resting on his fist. Shadow was laid out on the pile of newspapers, fast asleep. The storm was still raging outside, but was slowly beginning to recede.

Mizore sadly shook her head, tasting cherry from the lollipop that Yusuke had provided a few minutes earlier. "No. If I knew this was going to happen, I would never have fallen for him. I wish I could just go back in time and just stop myself…do something different…"

Yusuke watched her. "So you developed a crush on the student president, and then what? Did you confess to him?"

"Oh yeah. I confessed," Mizore said, her voice sounding hollow. "It took me a few months, but I finally gathered the courage to tell him how I felt."

"And what did he say?" he asked gently.

"He rejected me." The sentence burned in her throat on its way out. Tears began to gather in the corners of her eyes. "I poured everything into it. But he rejected me anyway. And then his girlfriend saw us. She started shouting at me, accusing me of ridiculous things. She…slapped me. She told me that if she ever saw me with Ryuu again, she'd kill me." Her hand immediately went to her cheek, as if she could still feel the burning pain.

"So top student rejects you, and angry girlfriend unjustly attacks you..."

Mizore looked up at him, lips curled in a sad smile. "The thing is, Ryuu didn't heartlessly turn me down. He tried explaining to me that it wouldn't work, and that I should find someone else. Even though he didn't share my feelings, he still _cared_ about me." Finally, she broke down and the tears started flowing. "But that only made the pain worse. And now my mom hates me, and my best friend is avoiding me! Why am I being abandoned like this? I don't want to be alone!"

Her head began to spin. She couldn't hold it in anymore. All the tension, all the depression, all the loss, everything liquefied and poured out of her eyes. She tried to hold it in, to not seem so weak in front of Yusuke.

Before she knew it, Yusuke was by her side, an arm around her shoulder, holding her close. "Idiot," he whispered. "Who have you been talking to, a brick wall? I'm here, so you're not alone." He gently squeezed her shoulder. "Not anymore."

Like a dam bursting, Mizore buried her head into his chest as her emotions ran loose.

_Author's Note 2:__ I know Kotsubo has red hair in the anime. Mid-way through writing this chapter, I decided to look up the anime episode that introduces Mizore and that's when I saw it. I've only read the manga, and that's what I'm basing this fanfic off of. I swear, I always thought Kotsubo was a freakin' blonde! _

_However, for the sake of the story, Kotsubo has blond hair. Please refrain from sending any reviews or messages saying how it's not right. I KNOW, but it can't be helped. Thank you. _


	11. The Truth Can Be Unpleasant

**Ch. 11- The Truth Can Be Unpleasant**

Mizore opened her eyes, her vision fuzzy. Her head was laid out on the mattress. She was vaguely aware of Yusuke standing by the mouth of the cave, his back turned to her. When she lifted her head, the springs groaned loud enough for him to notice. "Oh, are you conscious now, Ms. Shirayuki?"

"When did I fall asleep?" she asked groggily.

"Well, you cried pretty hard for about twenty minutes, and then you just…I don't know, passed out?" Yusuke noticed her face turning a slight shade of pink. "There's no need to be embarrassed, you know. Everyone needs a good cry every once once in a while." Even so, Mizore couldn't help feeling a little resentful to herself that she had caved like that. "Feeling any better?"

Mizore thought about it. "A little."

"That's good. Anyway, the storm has finally moved on, but the rock steps leading up are still slick. I'd give you about thirty more minutes until it's safe to go out."

He walked back toward her and grabbed two suckers from the bags. "I was thinking about something while you were dozing off. You never did tell me what caused you to be suspended in the first place."

_That's right; I never did, _she thought, taking the lollipop from him. "You remember that girl, Ashiyo, who you and Shadow scared off the other day? Her and some other students were bugging me about the whole 'Ryuu' business. Since they wouldn't leave me alone, I tried to popsicle one of them in class."

"Really? Has this been happening a lot?"

Mizore nodded. "I don't know why, but many of the female students started making fun of me when they realized how I felt about Ryuu. I didn't think I was being obvious about it or anything, but they caught on to it. They would stop me in the halls, insult and mock me."

"That girl must have really pushed your buttons if you tried to freeze them." Through his impassive mask, Mizore saw surprise etched on Yusuke's face.

"Why do you say that?"

Yusuke shrugged. "You just don't seem to be the violent type, is all. Well," he added, "besides that time you attacked me when you first showed up."

It was true. Mizore had never fought back when the crazed girls harassed her time and again. There were times when she was close to cracking, but she held her composure and walked away. They never did anything direct to her. It was all just meaningless insults.

_How would someone like Ryuu ever consider going out with a loser bitch like you?_

But Mizore wasn't as resilient as she imagined. Ashiyo was proof; her remark had been the one that cracked the tip of the mountain and started the avalanche.

"Does Yokai Academy normally allow its suspended students to wonder off of its grounds?"

Mizore could guess what he was getting at. If she was supposed to be at the school, then someone would be sent to look for her. And that was something Yusuke wanted to avoid.

She explained Ms. Nekonome's unexpected visit and the Headmaster's one-day waiver to her punishment. When she finished, Yusuke visibly relaxed. "That's rather fortunate. It seems like you got friends in high places watching over you."

"Yeah, right," she replied.

"I'm being serious here." He sat on the mattress to Mizore's left. "You mentioned that your mother was angry with you for getting suspension, right? What'd she say, exactly?"

And so Mizore recounted the phone call with Yusuke, trying to glaze over how badly she had handled it. Yusuke merely looked at his feet as he listened, nodding occasionally. "And what about your friend? You said she was avoiding you for some reason?" Mizore also told him about the bizarre encounter that morning; how everything went blank for a while, and Matoko shouting at her and running away, looking scared.

"And you think she ran away because of you?" Yusuke asked.

"Yes," Mizore answered. "No. I don't know. I mean, that's why I wanted to find her during lunch, to get some answers. But she had some sort of private lessons to tend to. I was starting to think that she was purposefully avoiding me for some reason."

"Has she been acting odd at all before this?"

"No…"

"Then how do you know for sure she's avoiding you?" Yusuke asks. "I mean, I don't know this Matoko girl, but the way you described her, she isn't the type to just _abandon _you. This IS a school full of monsters, after all. Everyone has their quirks. All this tension you have inside of you is making you overthink things."

Mizore stayed silent. What kind of rebuttal could she use to counter that? Yusuke was right, she _had_ overreacted. She had doubted her best friend, the only friend she had since she came here. And for what?

"Look," Yusuke continued on, "all I'm saying is that you should talk to her next chance you get. I'm sure she'll have a reasonable explanation for this. Give her a chance."

"Yeah, you're right," Mizore said, voice shrunk from shame. _How could I have ever doubted her? She had always been there to look out for me._

"And you should do the same with your mother." Before a refusal could even form in her mind, Yusuke held up his hand. "You didn't actually think I'd believe how calm and collected you were with your mother's reaction, did you? Knowing you, you probably flipped out as bad as she did."

Mizore got to her feet, looking down at Yusuke scrupulously, wondering if he was a psychic like Matoko. "So you _know me_, now? Weren't you the one who said I didn't seem like the violent type?"

"And I stand by that." Yusuke said, unnerved. "However, from what I've seen, you can sometimes let your emotions cloud your judgment."

That drove the point sighed. "Okay, so I did lose it a little on the phone, but my mother didn't understand the whole picture! How could she know of what I'm going through?"

"That is the question, isn't it? How could she know?"

He looked at Mizore, who realized by his silence that the question wasn't rhetorical. "I…"

"Exactly. She doesn't, because you…didn't…tell…her." His gaze turned intense. "You were both so hot-blooded, from you getting suspended for something that wasn't your fault and your mother for the unexpected phone call, that neither of you acted rationally. Have you ever taken a moment to think how _you_ would have felt if _you_ thought your daughter was doing well in school then _you_ get a phone call like that?"

If Yusuke had a dollar for pointing out every wrong Mizore had done, he wouldn't have to live in a cave if he really cared to. And Mizore had little ground to guard against it.

"You should give her a chance just like Matoko. Now that you both have had a chance to cool down, you should explain to her what's going on. If she still doesn't understand, that the fault is on her. But the ball is on your side of the court, so to speak. You're move."

Yusuke's tone lessened, but his eyes and attitude still retained its usual criticalness. "You can take my advice for what it's worth, Ms. Shirayuki. In this earth, whether your monster or human, the truth can be unpleasant sometimes. What matters is whether you face the truth and move on, or you bury it and suffer. That's up for you to choose."

"Fine, I'll choose," she said, holding back her irritation and wishing this conversation would cease. She was tired of his usual onslaught of questions. How could she have believed that he wouldn't lecture her on how to live her life?

By this time, sunlight had shone through the rock window, illuminating the once dark cave. The sound of the waves splashing onto the cliff below reverberated into the cave, setting a sort of calm atmosphere. In contrast, Mizore stared at Yusuke, who was softly scratching a newly awoken Shadow. _Why do I feel so angry with him?_ she asked herself.

Then she remembered his words: "You can sometimes let your emotions cloud your judgment."

_Probably because he seems to know more about me than I do._

Mizore breathed slowly to calm herself down and glanced out the window. "It's getting late," she stated, grabbing both empty bento boxes and taking a step toward the exit. "I'd better go if I plan on tracking Matoko."

Yusuke nodded. "I appreciate you stopping by for lunch, Ms. Shirayuki. Watch those steps on your way up."

"I will," she said, turning away and moving toward the exit.

"Ms. Shirayuki!" She had gotten to the first step of the stairwell when she stopped and peered back inside. Yusuke was slowly walking toward her, his hands in his pockets. "You may not think it, but Matoko cares about you. The same goes for your mother, your teacher, and the headmaster. They all care about you." He stopped at the entrance, a faint trace of the compassion he conveyed before flashing in his eyes. "Take a look around you sometime. You never know. You may find you're not as alone as you once thought."

Mizore looked at him for a moment longer, and then continued climbing the steps. Yusuke watched her until the path twisted around the cliff face and she was gone. Something fuzzy brushed his hand as Shadow sat by his side, looking up at him with big, attention getting eyes.

"She's a stubborn one, alright," he said, glancing back up where the snow girl disappeared.

* * *

><p>"I think that will be all for today," Ms. Jones announced as the school bell rang.<p>

Matoko whipped the sweat off her face, fighting for air. "And what…exactly what was the point of all _that_?"

Ms. Jones smiled, obviously enjoying herself. "Why, this exercise helps build discipline and control of the mind. I know it's uncomfortable, but it's the fastest way to accomplish it. You did very well, especially for someone who's never done it before. Although," she giggles. "You sort of died out in the end. But that's to be expected."

"Small comfort," Matoko remarked, heart rate starting to return to normal.

"Anyway, you'll be going to class again tomorrow, just like normal. I expect you to practice just as I showed you before. When we meet again next week, I want you to be able to hold out for far longer that." Ms. Jones laughter echoed down the hall as she left.

"Yeah, right," Matoko muttered, straightening her dress before exiting herself.

Moving with the sea of students leaving for the day, Matoko eventually made it out of the main building and was on her way toward the female dormitory. _I wonder what Mizore's been up to all day?_ she thought. _I hope she's alright. What am I going to say after what happened this morning? Is she going to hate me because I lost control?_ A memory suddenly surfaced. One of her parents. Matoko's first incident, where she had lost everything.

Then a thought came to mind. _Maybe she doesn't remember it. Yes, the shock of it might have caused her to forget about it entirely. _It was a slim chance, but Matoko held on to it like a lifeline.

Inside the dorms, she dodged and maneuvered around the little groups and clusters of female students that normally littered the dormitory bottom floor. She climbed a set of stairs and stood outside room 107. After a slight hesitation, she knocked on the door. No answer. "Mizore, are you in there?" She knocked again. Still no answer. _Strange… suspended students aren't allowed outside their rooms. Where is-_

"Matoko?" Turning, she saw Mizore walking toward her, a surprised look on her face. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to check up on you and see how you were doing," Matoko answered. "Where have you been? Aren't you supposed to be in here?" She gestured toward the room.

"Well, yeah, but…" Mizore started, and then she took out her key and opened the lock. "Let's go inside, I need to talk to you."

"O…kay," Then Matoko noticed the two boxes in her hands. _Bento boxes?_

Matoko closed the door behind her, and sat on the vacant chair, watching Mizore. "What's with the bentos?"

Mizore walked to the trash and tossed them in. "I didn't eat breakfast this morning, so I was pretty hungry." She walked back toward her bed and sat down.

"So where have you been, Mizore? Isn't it breaking suspension if you're out of your room? I don't think you should be making the matter any worse than it already is."

"Ms. Nekonome came by around lunch. Apparently, I got written permission from the headmaster releasing me from dorm arrest for the day."

"The headmaster did that?" Matoko asked, the image of the man dressed in exorcist clothes popping up. "Why?"

Mizore shrugged. "I suppose he thinks I did nothing wrong."

Matoko raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "If that were true, he should be getting you out of suspension entirely."

"Yeah." Mizore felt her throat tighten in anticipation. "Actually, after Ms. Nekonome came by, I wanted to find you and eat lunch with you. But the teacher said you had some sort of private lessons."

"Yeah," Matoko grimaced, imagining Ms. Jones idiotic laughter. "I did, though rather unexpectedly."

"You see, I wanted to ask what had happened this morning."

_So much for her not remembering,_ Matoko cursed, but she kept her expression blank. "What do you mean?"

Mizore looked away. "I don't remember exactly what happened, but I do remember you looking at me with this frightened look on your face before running off."

Matoko noticed that her friend was acting rather odd. _Why is Mizore so nervous?_ Then she noticed that she was nervous too, afraid of how Mizore would react when she knew what had really happened.

Mizore turned to her, eyes locked on. She asked softly, "Matoko, why did you run away like that?"

And there it was. The question was out in the open. Matoko felt cornered. She felt fear creeping up her body, fear of losing her friend because she had lost control. "I…well…I," she stammered. Mizore's expression changed from nervousness to hurt, as if Matoko's inability to speak had confirmed her suspicions. "I'm sorry, Mizore. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. It just came so quickly, I didn't even see it coming."

"See what coming?"

Matoko took a deep breath and, before she could stop herself, said "I lost control of my powers."

The sentence hung there in the air for several seconds. Matoko looked down at her feet, unable to look at Mizore's shocked and terrified face. She expected her to run, or to tell her to leave.

"What?" Mizore's tone was that of pure puzzlement, as opposed to that of the expected fear. "You lost control?"

_The fear will come._ _Who needs someone with an unpredictable power?_ "Yes," Matoko said. "My psychic mind went haywire, and I started to read your mind."

Mizore inhaled sharply. "Wh-what did you see?"

Matoko looked up, and was surprised by the anxious look Mizore had. "Well, I don't remember much. But I remember something about a nightmare…and white flowers…" She struck a chord. Mizore's eyes became slightly frantic, and she was beginning to sweat.

"Anything else?" she breathed.

"No…" Now it was Matoko's turn to be puzzled. "Reading someone's mind isn't like reading an open book. I only get these small glimpses, but nothing really solid. Mizore, are you alright? You're growing pale." Matoko thought about what she just said. "Well, paler than usual. Is something wrong?"

Mizore deflated like a balloon. "No, everything's fine. Wait, so that's it? You were only afraid because you were reading my mind?"

"Unintentionally, yeah," Matoko said, not understanding her reaction. "But that's why I had those extra lessons. I have a private instructor who is training me to gain control, so something like _that_ won't happen again."

"So you really did have lessons…and you only ran because…"

"Mizore?"

"I'm sorry!" Mizore suddenly shouted, tears in her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Matoko. I thought you ran away because you didn't want to be my friend anymore! I thought that…that you were purposefully avoiding me."

"What?" At first Matoko was relieved that Mizore didn't hate her for what happened, but then her indifferent personality was back up and running. "Idiot," she scoffed, "why would you think something as far-fetched as that?"

"You're the idiot here!" Mizore shot back. "Freaking out thinking I'd leave you because you're stupid powers went crazy. There's no way I'd stop being friends with you because of that! You're my best friend, my _only_ friend, here in Yokai! And don't you doubt it for a second!"

"Mizore…" Matoko whispered. She stood up, sat by Mizore's side and wrapped her arms around her. "Thank you. You don't know how happy it makes me feel when you say that."

Mizore returned the hug. "We're both idiots," she said, chuckling. When they separated, she asked "So it's good that you're learning to control your psychic powers, right? What exactly do you do in these private lessons, Matoko?"

"Er," Matoko hesitated. "The instructor had me do these mental exercises, like detecting the mental signatures of other students in the school, and trying to block her out. All the while she just sat on her desk and giggled. She even made me try invading _her_ mind, trying to 'get me used to the chaotic flow' or something. Exhausting." She rubbed her forehead, feeling a migraine coming. "You have no idea how hard it is to do that to an experienced psychic, let alone when your mind is sealed."

"Well, of course not!" Mizore said with a smile. "You're the psychic here. I'm just the overreacting snowgirl."

_Overreacting…_Mizore thought about Yusuke. _He had said Matoko would have a good reason, and he was right. I WAS overreacting. He was right all along._

"Mizore, what is it?"

"Nothing, just lost in thought for a second," she said quickly, making a mental note to visit the flower field again to thank him.

"Well, since you have a day of freedom, do you want to visit the shopping district? I need to take a quick shower first; today's training left me rather sweaty."

"That sounds great. I think I'll do the same, considering I've been outside nearly all day, eh...er, enjoying the freedom. So, I'll see you in a few minutes then!"

Matoko closed the door behind her. She took a few steps down the hall before stopping. Mizore's words came back to her. _You're my best friend, my only friend, here in Yokai! And don't you doubt it for a second!_

A single tear ran down her cheek, which she quickly wiped away. _She didn't leave me, after all. Mizore's a very dear friend. Maybe I am really an idiot after all. _

_I'd never give up our friendship for anything._

Matoko stepped off down the hall to the staircase leading up; her room was two floors higher. She had just reached her door when another thought came up. _But wait, something is a little…off._ _Why did she want to know exactly what memories I saw before? She was so defensive, like she was hiding something…_

She shrugged and entered her room. _Ah, who cares? It's none of my business._ Despite herself, the thought made her smile. _That's right…no one's business is my business. Not anymore._

_**Author's Note:** I hate to admit it, but I've never felt more iffy about a chapter than this one. Too much dialogue, maybe? idk. I hope you enjoyed it just as I have all the same. R&R!_


	12. Midterm Blues

**Ch. 12- Midterm Blues**

It wasn't for a few days after Mizore's meeting with Yusuke until she decided to heed his advice fully. She hadn't talked to her mother since their last big blowout. Talking to Yusuke had changed her view on Tsurara's position, and ever since, Mizore had felt a stabbing guilt constantly growing in her chest. _After all, it's thanks to him that Matoko and I are still friends. Could he turn out to be right twice?_

The morning of the last day of her suspension, after Matoko had stopped by her room before heading off to class, Mizore slipped down to the first floor common area and accessed the phone booths. As an afterthought, she waved her hand and formed three ice doppelgangers. She sent two of them to stand behind the double-door entrance while the third stood at the top of the stairs, keeping watch for any passing students or teachers. This was one phone call Mizore didn't want other people to overhear, especially if it ended up going bad like last time.

Slowly, Mizore picked up the phone and pushed the buttons. She had stayed up quite late last night planning exactly what she was going to say when her mother would answer. This was the first time Mizore had ever been scolded like that. Growing up, she had done her mischievous deeds as any typical child would, and she only would get a stern talk, then life would continue like it never happened. But this was on a whole new level. She had let Tsurara down. And all Mizore did was yell back at her. Would she ever forgive her? _Some daughter I am._

When she heard the tone that meant the call was being sent, half of her wanted to hang the phone up and immediately barricade herself in her room. But she willed herself to stay there. She wasn't going to run away.

The dial tone ended too quickly as the call was answered. "Hello, Shirayuki residence?"

Mizore took a deep breath. "Hi, mother. It's me."

"Mizore!" Tsurara sounded genuinely shocked, yet pleased. "This is a surprise! Is everything okay?"

_Remember what you were supposed to say. Remember what you were supposed to say._ "Yeah, everything's fine. Don't worry, I'm not calling you because I got in trouble again."

"Well, that's a good thing right? Well, what is it?"

Mizore's mind went blank. _What was I supposed to say again?_

Her silence made Tsurara worrisome. "Mizore, are you still there?"

"Yeah, I'm still here," Mizore said quickly, unconsciously gripping the phone cord like a lifeline. "I wanted to call to…"

"Yes…?" Tsurara prompted.

And just like that, all the words came flowing cascaded out. Mizore fought to keep her composure as she apologized again and again. She didn't want to stop in fear that her mother would cut her off and reject her if she stopped. Mizore called herself many names, promised that something like this would never happen again, and apologized some more. Eventually, Mizore had to stop for air, and she waited with baited breath. The line was silent for several painful seconds as Mizore waited for the inevitable rebuke.

When she did speak, Tsurara sounded slightly amused. "My, my, I wasn't expecting something so heartfelt." She giggled. "I want apologize too, Mizore. You know me, and my tendency to overreact to things."

"But I was wrong, mom," Mizore said. "I messed up, on so many accounts."

"Don't beat yourself up like this," Tsurara said. "It's a part of life, my daughter. No one is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. That's how we learn and grow stronger and make better choices. So don't feel too down, okay?"

"Mom…"

"So tell me what _did _happen. You know, when you got suspended."

So Mizore gave her a quick version of her trying to freeze a student who was picking on her, while skipping over exactly _why_ she was getting picked on. When she finished, Tsurara wseemedrather proud. "That's my girl! Show them all who is boss! If you'd like, I can stop by the school and teach those kids a few 'lessons' myself. I got this new snow bazooka yesterday that I'm just dying to try out…"

"No, mother," Mizore said calmly, suppressing a smile. "That wouldn't help things. But I appreciate the thought."

"Very well," Tsurara said, disappointed. "But how are things? Are you still suspended?"

"Yes, but Thursday is my last day. I return to school on Friday just like normal. Other than that, everything is going well."

"That's good to hear, Mizore. Oh," she said seriously. "And try not to get in too much trouble, okay? We wouldn't want you to get expelled without finding a decent man over there."

"No, we wouldn't wa-" Mizore stopped. "Wait, what did you say?"

"I said we don't want you to get expelled before you find a suitable husband candidate." Tsurara sounded confused. "That's why you wanted to enroll in the academy in the first place, isn't it?"

Suddenly, the memory surfaced in Mizore's mind. She had indeed told her mother that she wanted to go to Yokai Academy to find a mate. It was a total lie, one that Tsurara completely believed and Mizore had completely forgotten. "Um, right. Of course that's why I came here. So…that's all you were worried about? My finding a husband?"

"Of course. What else matters? I don't particularly care about you _graduating_. Everything you learn there could be taught by the elders here in the village. I thought you wanted to attend the Academy to find someone a little _different_ from the usual choices. So," Tsurara asked, mimicking a gossipy teen, "did you find anyone yet?"

Mizore instantly thought of Ryuu. "No, not yet, but I'm still looking."

"Alright, but don't wait too long. You turn sixteen in only a month, and then you only have a year left before the Snow Priestess chooses a husband for you."

"I know, mother," Mizore reassured. "I'm sure I'll find someone."

After promising that she'll call as soon as she found a boyfriend, Mizore said goodbye and hung up the phone. She stood there for several seconds, replaying the conversation in her mind. _Mother was only afraid of me finding a mate_. Once again, Mizore felt a huge weight lift off her shoulders as relief coursed through her body.

On her way back up to her room, Mizore stopped, and the feeling was replaced by sheer skepticism. _She was only afraid of me not finding a mate!_ Mizore hit her head on the wall with a nice bonk. _Mothers!_

* * *

><p>With no extra passes from the headmaster, therefore no legal way to visit Yusuke in the flower field, the last few days of suspension were filled with absolute boredom. But she was visited frequently by Ms. Nekonome, who had taken it upon herself to bring all Mizore's classwork that she was missing. "Wouldn't want you to fall behind when your suspension is lifted!" the cat teacher had said well naturedly. But the extra homework made just as much sense to her as it did in the classroom. Matoko even helped her out during after school hours. It didn't much help though that Matoko was making around the same grades that Mizore was.<p>

Mizore remembered overhearing some nameless students complaining about how they wish they could just stay in their dorms all day instead of doing classwork. _Oh, if only they knew,_ she thought.

It felt like years later when Friday morning rolled in, marking the end of Mizore's suspension. She awoke to the sound of Matoko knocking on her door and, once dressed and ready, the two made their way out toward the campus.

"Does it feel weird to be coming back?" Matoko asked.

"A little," Mizore confessed, glancing at a group of students who were eyeballing her as they pasted. "Just getting used to being around people again is going to be a task all on its own."

"I hear you." Matoko said sympathetically. "What about your classes? Think that's going to be a problem?"

Mizore shrugged, recalling the unorganized heap of Ms. Nekonome's classwork in the corner of her room. "I'll get by. Though I am a little worried about mid-terms. They begin in two weeks, and I might struggle with those."

"Find a tutor. A teacher or another student. Why not Ms. Nekonome? " Matoko suggested, who also had her in homeroom. "She seemed rather helpful during your suspension."

"She doesn't really teach anything though," Mizore noted. With a small grin, she added "Though if there was a fishing class, I'm sure she'd be all over it." There was another reason why she didn't want to ask the quirky cat teacher for help. Mizore already owed her enough for her frequent visits and concern. The last thing she wanted was to add on to the debt.

"So we have Math first period today," Mizore said. "You mind if I copy a few of your answers?"

Matoko pulled a piece of paper from her bag. "Here, you can have it. I have training with Ms. Jones all day today, so could you turn it in for me?"

"Oh yeah." Mizore said, giving her a once over. "I can tell you're not too excited about it."

"You wouldn't like it either if you tried it."

The warning bell sounded just as the two entered the main hall. Matoko waved goodbye as she departed to her psychic training with an unhappy expression. Mizore waved back, watching her go until the ensuing sea of students closed in between them like a curtain.

* * *

><p>When the bell signaled for lunch, Mizore wasn't feeling too confidant. With the midterm exams approaching, all her classes were focused on reviewing for the upcoming tests. Needless to say, Mizore was having difficulties keeping up with the pace, what with the past week being shut off from the rest of the world. As an afterthought, Mizore figured that even if she hadn't been suspended, her classes would still make no sense to her. All the words and instruction from her teachers went from one ear and out the other, with nothing gained or learned.<p>

_Matoko has that training going on today, so she probably wouldn't be out until after school._ Mizore thought, wishing for her friend's company to brighten her day. Sullenly, she sat by the central water fountain in the middle of the school yard. The sun was shining brightly in the sky, and although the direct heat made Mizore slightly uncomfortable, it was a nice spot to sit away from everyone else who took shelter in the shade of trees.

_If I don't get my grades up somehow, I'll fail the midterms. If that happens, it won't be long until I'm expelled._ Mizore even entertained for a moment the thought of asking Yusuke for help, but remembered that he wasn't a student to begin with. _I owe him enough already._ Then she remembered that she hadn't even stopped by the field of flowers to thank him yet. Making a mental note to visit him once school got out, Mizore sat down and started eating.

"What'd you say, you little punk?" A voice behind her said. Glancing over her shoulder and around the fountain, Mizore saw a tall student glaring down on a smaller boy.

"I'm sorry!" the shorter, bespectacled kid said nervously. "I couldn't finish your homework last night. I was too busy with my own work and club activities. But I did do over half of them-"

The taller one took a menacing step closer. "Half? _Half?_ You little pipsqueak, that assignment is due next period! What am I supposed to do if I get a bad grade? All because you couldn't set your priorities straight!" He cracked his knuckles. "Looks like I need to teach you a lesson that you won't forget."

"No, no wait!" the shorter kid spluttered, taking a shaky step back. "I'll finish it right now! I can get most of it done before lunch is over! I promise!"

"Not good enough, Hiroshi," the bully sneered. "This type of thing is intolerable. It's time to take your punishment like a man!" He pulled his arm back, ready for a punch. But then a pillar of ice shot from the fountain and encased his whole arm. "What the-?" Confused, he tried to jerk free, but the ice wouldn't budge.

"That's not very nice," Mizore said, freezing the water's surface and walking across it. "Just take the half-finished homework. It's more than you deserve anyway."

"Who the hell are you? Mind your own business, girl!" the bully spat, still trying to pull his arm away.

Mizore looked at him coolly. "On second thought, you should just leave now. The way you throw your weight around is just disgusting."

The ice around the bully's arm melted instantly, and the bully, still pulling, fell on his rear. He quickly stood back up, enraged. "Oh, you're just ASKING for it, you little-" He stopped midsentence as Mizore's hand transformed into an ice claw, pointing a sharp, jagged finger centimeters from his throat.

"Get lost," Mizore ordered.

The bully glared at her with a mixture of anger and fear. After a moment, he cursed and ran back toward the school building. Mizore relaxed, dissolving her hand back to normal. She turned around and looked at Hiroshi, who nervously stared at her, speechless. Without waiting for a thank you, Mizore unfroze the fountain, walked back around the fountain to her spot and finished her lunch.

_So much for sitting away from everyone else._ She glanced over her shoulder_,_ but the boy she saved had already dissipated. As she packed up her lunch box and stood to return to the school, she heard a voice behind her say, "Excuse me-"

The irritation got the better of her as she whipped around and vehemently snapped, "Can't you people see I'm trying to enjoy what little solitude I-...I..." The words fumbled out as Mizore realized that she was standing face to face with Ryuu.


	13. Unspoken Evil

**Ch. 13- Unspoken Evil**

"R-Ryuu!" Mizore breathed.

If the tall, handsome student president was offended by her outburst, he didn't show it. His hands were in his pockets, dark eyes shone with a certain radiance, and lips curled into charming grin. Ryuu greeted her with a small wave of the hand. "Hey. Can I talk to you for a minute? Or is this a bad time?"

"N-no, of course not," the snow girl said hastily, suddenly feeling extremely self-conscious and wishing she had controlled her temper better.

Upon Ryuu's suggestion, the two sat down on the edge of the fountain, and that's when Mizore noticed that the two were utterly alone, Ryuu's ambient posse absent, which was a rarity all on its own. Especially that terrible third year, Ishiku.

Ryuu noticed her anxiously glancing around. "Don't worry, no one else is around, and Ishiku is doing some extra studying on the other side of the school. I didn't want anyone to interrupt us." Although Mizore believed what he said, she still couldn't help keeping a watchful eye out for that psychotic girlfriend of his.

"I'm…" Ryuu started, with what sounded like shame in his voice. "I'm truly sorry for what Ishiku did that day. Her actions were inexcusable and over the top. I never would have wished something like that to happen to you."

Mizore watched him, surprised. "Why are _you_ apologizing? You didn't do anything wrong."

"I talked to Ishiku and demanded that she apologize herself, but she wouldn't have it. We had this big argument. And I thought at least SOME one should do it." He looked at Mizore sympathetically. "I looked all over for you, but one of your teachers told me that you were under _suspension_ for fighting!"

"Yeah, well." Mizore muttered uncomfortably, fiddling with the hem of her skirt. "It was no big deal."

"You were suspended because students were teasing you about what happened, weren't you?" Ryuu asked. "Surprised? I am student body president, and I hear just about everything. I also know you deal with a certain degree of bullies yourself. One of them being a first year by the name of Ashiyo, who you tried to fight, correct?"

"Right…" Mizore answered, not sure where this was going.

Ryuu's eyes turned deadly serious. "Not long after your suspension, Ashiyo was found severely injured in the woods near the edge of the campus. I watched as medics rushed her into the infirmary emergency room."

"What?" Mizore exclaimed, shocked. _That explains why she wasn't in Math class today_, she thought, at the time feeling relieved that she would enjoy a little peace on her first day back. "Who did it?"

"We don't know," Ryuu said simply, not looking at her in the eye.

Mizore suddenly understood what Ryuu was implying. "You think I attacked her, don't you?"

"The possibility has been examined," he said truthfully, "But I don't see how you could have done it. First off, Ashiyo's wounds were severe burns. That would eliminate you as a suspect right off. Then the doctor guessed the attack happened about an hour before Ashiyo was found. Ms. Nekonome testified that you were in your room at the estimated time of the attack because she came to check on you. It was unthinkable. You defending that boy from that bully a few minutes ago only proves that."

Mizore shrugged as if it was nothing. "I just don't like people who take advantage of others."

Ryuu's eyes softened. "Plus I couldn't see a girl like you hurting someone else like that. That first day I met you, I knew you were just an innocent, cute, and shy girl entering a new world."

Mizore was sure her cheeks were burning, feeling like she didn't deserve to be complemented by someone like him. _He called me cute!_

The ringing of the school bell screeched through the air, signaling the end of lunch break. Students began to appear from all around the grounds and converged at the entrance, talking animatedly. With a sigh, he stood up and dusted the back of his pants. "Well, I gotta run. The student council can run so sluggishly without me. See you around, Ms. Shirayuki."

With a parting smile, Ryuu melted into the ensuing sea of students. Mizore sat there, watching him disappear, feeling like she was going to melt herself.

For the last few classes, Mizore felt a lingering euphoric feeling from her chat with Ryuu. Although this new found enthusiasm didn't help at all with her attention in her classes. She might as well have had a big target on her head, because the teachers seemed to call on her a lot to answer questions. She wanted to find Matoko so badly and tell her about what Ryuu had said.

By the time the final bell rung, despite Ryuu's moral boost, Mizore's confidence had once again dropped to a new low. The only consolation she could find was that the weekend had finally come, providing rest from the looming despair of midterms. She still had no game plan on how to tackle the issue.

She had just exited the main building and was on her way to the girl's dorm when she felt a tap on her shoulder. "Um…excuse me…"

She turned around. The short boy with the big glasses from lunch froze when she looked at him. "Yes?" she inquired.

"I…" he stammered. "Well, I…"

"If you trying to thank me for saving your skin, just forget about it," she said dismissively. Inwardly, she was thankful for him being there in the first place; it had provided her with points to score with Ryuu.

"H-hey! Wait a minute…I want to repay you somehow!" he persisted. "No one one's ever stuck up for me before, and I-"

Mizore turned away. "I said forget about it." She took a few steps before she stopped, a thought suddenly surfacing. "Wait, do I have you in any of my classes?"

"Yeah, I think so." The boy said, trying to remember. "I think we have Math, History, and English together. Weren't you the one who got called on a lot?"

Mizore nodded, remembering the one kid who always raised his hand and answered the questions correctly. "Yeah, not that I understood any of that stuff in the first place." She looked the kid up and down. "You look like someone who does really well in his studies. What grades do you get?"

"Straight A's," he said proudly. Then his expression turned apprehensive. "Are you going to make me copy your homework too?"

Mizore gave him a cool look. "Don't confuse me with those idiots. I don't bully others to get what I want."

"S-sorry," the kid said quickly. "B-but from what I can tell, you don't seem to be doing well in class either."

"That's true, I'm not..."

"I-if you'd like, I could, I don't know, tutor you or something? It's the least I can do to help you out."

Mizore pondered for a moment. "What's your name?" she asked.

"I'm Hiroshi," he answered, pushing up his glasses. "But you can call me Hiro, for short." He extended his hand. "Nice to meet you!"

Mizore took his hand and shook it. "Alright, then. I'll take your help. I'm Mizore Shirayuki. Mizore is just fine. So, when can we start?"

Hiro grinned. "Anytime is fine. We can start now, if you'd like."

Mizore nodded. "That's fine with me." _Wait, _she thought. _I still need to thank Yusuke for earlier. I should go see him first. _To Hiro, she said, "Actually, right now isn't a good time. What about tomorrow? At the fountain at noon?"

Hiro nodded. "Anytime is okay."

"It's a date then," Mizore said.

Hiro instantly flushed deep red. "D-d-d-d-date?" he stuttered.

Mizore chuckled. "Relax, I was joking. Anyway, I'll see you later, Hiro." With a wave, she continued her way to the girl's dormitory. After quickly dropping off her school bag in her room and grabbed the bag of suckers, she walked toward the school gate at a brisk pace.

On the other side of the school, Ms. Jones crossed her arms and asked, "Well? What can you see?"

Matoko shut her sensei's voice out and focused wholly on the task. She cautiously stretched out her conscience, careful not to let her powers slip from her control. But thanks to Ms. Jones's seal, it was hard enough for her to call upon her powers in the first place. It was like trying to make a river flow when all you could manage was a small trickle of water.

In her mind's eye, she could sense two mental signatures. Both of them were moving, getting farther away. "I sense two girls across the yard," she said out loud. "Second years." Matoko tapped into one of them, feeling the thoughts streaming in her head upon contact. But this time, their thoughts weren't a huge tidal wave that engulfed her. She could easily tell what was going on, what they were thinking, what they were feeling, without being overrun by them. "One of them is worried about her boyfriend's recent odd behavior, and is wondering what is wrong."

"Indeed," Ms. Jones mused. "What about the other?"

Matoko focused. "The other one is afraid…because she's been flirting with the first girl's boyfriend. She hopes they won't get found out." Opening her eyes, she looked at her teacher. "Was that good enough, or do I have to see more hot gossip?"

Ms. Jones merely smiled. "I think that'll do. You've shown much progress since we started. I'm sure you'll have this down in no time, Matoko."

Matoko rubbed her forehead. They've been at this all day, and although she had been improving, it still left a slight headache. And Ms. Jones acting so chummy only made it flare worse. "Are we done here?" the girl said impatiently. "The final bell rang about twenty minutes ago."

Ms. Jones cocked a playful eyebrow. "Want to get rid of me so quickly? And here I thought you were the one who wanted to train so badly, so you can gain control. Or do you think you've mastered the psychic arts already?"

"Tch." Matoko turned away. If only she could have a seal on her growing irritation of this woman.

Ms. Jones glanced around. "One more exercise, then we'll be done for the day. Let's see how distance affects your mind reading." She pointed across the campus grounds. "You see that student walking toward the gate? I want you to learn where that student is going. We'll call it a day after that."

Matoko reluctantly did as she was instructed. Closing her eyes, she pushed passed her throbbing migraine and stretched her mind out. She guessed the target was more than three hundred feet away, and she really had to push out to connect her mind with whoever was out there. In her mind's eye, she could see the tendrils reaching for the target, but it fell pitifully short. Matoko strained, trying to get

Ms. Jones noticed her struggle and grinned mockingly. "Something wrong? Or can you not do it?"

_Shut up!_ Matoko thought vehemently, half hoping the teacher was reading her thoughts. She returned her focus on the target. _Come on, come on_! She willed herself to push past the barrier in her mind that was hindering her. For the first time, Matoko wished that the seal wasn't there. She'd easily be able to extend herself out. This task would be a cinch. But it was like trying to swim in a river against the current. Slowly, her reach went farther and farther, until it eventually latched onto the mind of the target. A stream of thoughts and memories flowed within the ethereal connection.

"I got it!" Mizore said. "It's faint, but I got it."

"And?" Ms. Jones said, evidently unimpressed. "What can you read?"

Matoko concentrated. The connection was made, but whoever's mind she was reading, they were moving farther and farther away. Small images and thoughts trickled in. _Midterms…Hiroshi…flower field…_

"Whoever it is," Matoko said slowly, ignoring the increasing pain in the back of her head, "they're going to the flower field, and…"

_Something's familiar about this person, _Matoko thought. More thoughts came tumbling in. _Shadow…I must thank…for phone call…Yusuke…_

Suddenly, through the mental strain, Matoko recognized who it was._ Mizore?_

The connection snapped like a twig. In a split second, the metaphorical river's current had turned completely around, and Matoko was getting swept away by it. The pain in her head ignited like gunpowder. In her mind, the beast that was her power roared in triumph, free from its cage once again.

"Oh dear, you broke the seal," Ms. Jones sighed. She quickly dashed to Matoko's side and pressed her palm of her head like before. After several seconds, the procedure was complete. Matoko opened her eyes, breathing hard, faintly aware that she was lying on the ground.

Ms. Jones kneeled by her side. "Pushed it a little too hard, I'm afraid. But it's alright now. The seal has been reapplied, so there's no danger." She helped Matoko get on her feet. "How are you feeling?"

"No better than the last time you did that," the student spat, brushing her dark raven hair from her face.

"Practice does make perfect," Ms. Jones said cheerfully. "We'll continue from here on Friday. You enjoy you're weekend, Matoko!" With a smug grin, Ms. Jones walked back into the building.

Matoko cursed, wondering whether she had made any real progress at all in her training. She had broken through the seal. Her powers had gone wild again, and it was only because of Ms. Jones that she hadn't completely lost her mind. The phantom beast growled in frustration at being caged up again, and for once, Matoko felt sympathy for it. They both wanted something, and it was practically dangling in front of their noses before it zipped away.

_I'd better get back to the dormitory,_ she thought tiredly. _But that had definitely been Mizore going out the gates. She was heading for the flower field. Why? And who is this _Yusuke_ person?_

Matoko was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she failed to notice the masked figure watching her from the shadows of the trees.

Mizore reached the flower field in no time. Just the sight of the endless white gave her a little sense of peace. It reminded her a little of home, as well. Even though she had wanted to get away, a small piece of her missed the secluded snow village that she grew up in.

As expected, she watched as a dark tail zipped toward her from underneath the canvas of flowers. Mizore got on one knee. "Come her, girl!" she called, opening her arms and bracing herself for one of her loving but painful tackles. But the puppy ran right past her in full speed, yipping in fear. "Whoa! Hey, Shadow!"

The black puppy skidded to a halt and looked back. Mizore took a step closer. "Hey, it's me, remember? Mizore? What's wrong, girl?"

Shadow hopped to her side, burying her head in Mizore's legs. Mizore knelt by her, trying to calm her down. _Wow, she's shaking,_ Mizore noticed. _What could have scared her so badly?_

A sudden gust of wind pelted her back. Shadow jumped, and ran away, barking in fear. That's when Mizore felt it. From deeper in the field. Like a powerful aura. An unspeakable fear shot through her, and she felt her heart skip a beat. _What…what on earth was that?_

Something was wrong. Mizore couldn't tell exactly what it was, but a feeling of dread crept up her spine. Whatever that was, it felt _evil._ And seeing Shadow so spooked only confirmed it.

She started running deeper into the field toward the source. "Yusuke!" she called. "Yusuke, where are you?"

She reached the cliff's edge, and she knew that the rock stairs were somewhere nearby. The evil feeling had receded to near nothingness, but it left a sort of aftertaste that Mizore could still sense._ It's underneath me. It's coming from the cave…whatever it is._

Mizore found the stairs, and quietly but quickly descended the steps. She could her no strange sounds, other than the rush of the waves a hundred feet below. She stopped when she reached the mouth of the cave, ice claws formed and ready in case something popped out. "Yusuke?" she called out in a whisper. No answer. She cautiously peered inside. Her breath caught in her throat.

There in the middle of the cave, sprawled on the rock floor, was Yusuke, unmoving, in a pool of blood.


	14. The Golden Necklace

**Ch. 14- The Golden Necklace**

"Yusuke!" Mizore threw caution to the wind and instantly dashed to his side. She skidded to a stop only a few feet away; something was on top of him. The cave was too dark, so Mizore couldn't see exactly what it was. The ice claws reformed and held ready. But the dark figure didn't move. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness.

But it wasn't a monster. They were wings. Two black wings, stretching from Yusuke's shoulder blades. Upon closer inspection, she noticed the wings looked battered. Besides the feathers that littered the floor, the wings looked…sickly and bent in strange angles. Mizore considered the possibility of them being broken. _Is this his monster form?_ Mizore wondered. But aside from the wings, nothing else about him looked any different.

Yusuke's clothes were slashed and torn. His face was deathly pale. His arms, legs, and chest were covered in cuts, but none of them looked deep, and they seemed to have clotted over. But there was still so much blood…Mizore forced herself to swallow the rising bile in her throat.

Gently, she rolled him to his side, pushing his frail wings out of the way. His head hung limply, seemingly lifeless. Mizore put the side of her head to his chest. After a few seconds, she felt it. A heartbeat. Faint, but still going. His chest rose, barely noticeable, but just enough to show that he was breathing. Yusuke was still alive. Relief washed over Mizore like a waterfall. _Thank the Oracle he's still alive. _She cupped his face with her hands. "Yusuke," she whispered urgently. "Wake up. Talk to me, Yusuke." But he showed no response.

Mizore looked around for something to clean his wounds with, and her gaze instantly locked on the numerous plastic bags. At least these weren't damaged in the attack. Her hopes were quickly dashed when all she found was dog food and suckers of various flavors inside.

She looked at the worn out mattress, was leaning against the wall awkwardly, as if thrown. Mizore went to the mattress and set it down beside Yusuke. Afterwards, she half carried / half dragged him on top of the bed and laid him on his back, which wasn't an easy task, considering his black wings were constantly in the way. Once she got him in what seemed a comfortable position, she tiredly wiped his blood off her hands on the mattress.

Mizore quickly ran through her options in her head. There were no medical supplies in the cave. There was no way she could carry him up that treacherous staircase, let alone all the way to the academy. No, she would have to bring help to him. But who could help her? Where could she go to? The school infirmary, maybe? Could she make it there and back in time? The chances seemed bleak, but it was the only choice she had. "I'll be right back, Yusuke," she whispered reassuringly into his ear. "You better not die on me."

Then she thought about how Yusuke made her promise not to bring anyone else to the field. How would he react if he learned that Mizore had betrayed him to help him? _To hell with the promise! Yusuke could die!_

"No." Mizore had barely started to stand up when Yusuke's hand suddenly grabbed her arm. His eyes opened, and instantly fell on Mizore's. "No, don't leave," he rasped, sounding delirious. "Please…"

Mizore was kneeling again by his side, but he did not relinquish his grip. "Yusuke, let me go! I have to get you help befor-"

Yusuke's other hand gently stroked Mizore's cheek, effectively jamming the words into her throat. "You're here. You're really here." He smiled. Mizore had never seen him smile like that before. And his eyes…they gazed at her with so much emotion, but they seemed to be looking past her. "I'm so glad you're here…Izumi."

_Izumi?_ Mizore thought. _He must be hallucinating. I'm running out of time! _Trying to keep her voice shaking, she gently held his hand with her own and said firmly, "Yusuke, it's me, Mizore. Remember Mizore?"

"Mi…Mizo..re?" he wheezed, eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"Let me go, Yusuke. I have to get help. You've lost a lot of blood."

Her words seem to click something in his head, because his eyes flashed in a moment of panic. "No! Don't go! It's…only a scratch. I'm fine."

"I have to," Mizore implored, painfully aware that every second she was here, the slimmer his chances of survival became. "Please, let go of my hand. You'll die if I don't."

His grip only tightened, but he was quickly losing energy as his eyelids slowly closed. "Please, I beg you…don't…leave me again…Izu…mi."

Finally, his grip relaxed and fell limply as he slipped into unconsciousness, but Mizore stayed rooted to the spot. _What should I do?_ she asked herself again and again, but her mind was in chaos.

Suddenly, an idea came up. _What if I froze the blood over the cuts? That might stop the bleeding._ _That, or give him frost bite. _Mizore thought it over for a few moments. Deciding it was the best option, she lifted Yusuke's arm and examined his wounds closely.

Surprisingly, the cuts were already scabbing over. No more blood. Mizore looked everywhere else. They were the same. _He must have exceptional healing powers,_ she concluded. But even compared to Yokai, his wounds were healing at a very rapid pace.

Mizore put his arm down. Figuring that he would be completely healed within a matter of minutes, Mizore sat by the mattress, and waited. _Black wings and quick regeneration abilities…Yusuke, what _are _you?_

Yusuke's eye's slowly opened, his vision blurry. A light purple color was all he could see. Slowly, his vision recovered completely. He noticed he was lying on his mattress, his head rolled on its side. The purple color he was seeing was someone's hair, their back turned to him. His mind eventually began to connect the dots.

"Sh…Shirayuki…?" he rasped.

Surprised, Mizore spun around. He noticed her hands had faint traces of blood on them. "Yusuke! You're awake!" Out of impulse, she slugged him in the arm. "Idiot! Don't ever scare me like that again!"

Yusuke tried moving his arms, but he could barely lift them, he was so weak. "What happened?"

"You tell me," she said, helping him sit up. "I was walking in through the fields on my way here, Shadow bolts right past me, and next thing I knew, I found you here in a pool of your own blood! Your wounds are healed now, and you've been unconscious for about half an hour."

The memory emerged from the tangled mess in Yusuke's mind. His face must have shown it, because Mizore's worry intensified. "Yusuke, tell me what happened. What attacked you?"

Yusuke looked behind him, noticing his black wings. The wings began to fold and shrink into his back until they vanished. Then his eyes stayed glued on the ceiling, unresponsive. For a second, Mizore that he was about to pass out again before he muttered, "Don't worry about it."

Mizore's jaw dropped. "What? You were dying only minutes ago! I saved your life, and you're going to tell to _not worry about it_?"

Yusuke turned away from her. "While I appreciate the help, Ms. Shirayuki, this is something you don't need to concern yourself with. I should be fine now. I just…need some rest." Seconds later, his breathing slowed as he fell deeply into sleep.

"Unbelievable," Mizore muttered.

As Yusuke slept, she walked over to the nearest wall. In the rock were very many deep scratches. The scratches were all over, some shallow, but most very deep and numerous. _Whatever caused these must have been extremely powerful, _she hypothesized_. And angry._ _What could have caused this? _A shiver ran up her spine._ What was that I felt before? That demonic aura…_She glanced back at Yusuke's sleeping figure. _He's lucky to have survived something that could do this much damage._

Suddenly, her hand sank into a deep indention in the rock wall. Mizore examined it closer. It looked dug up, as if put there on purpose. It was just big enough to fit her hand through. she reached inside and was surprised that the shaft was long enough for her whole arm to fit in. Her fingers wrapped around something plastic. With a quick glance at the sleeping Yusuke, she pulled it out.

It was a small jewel box. Mizore examined it curiously. _What's Yusuke doing with a jewelry box?_ she wondered. She flicked it open with her thumb. Inside was a golden pendant and chain. It was simple in design, with no markings on the casing. It looked brand new, it's surface shiny and reflective. Nothing particularly remarkable.

"I'll take that back now." Yusuke swiped the box out of her hand so fast, Mizore barely saw his hand move. He was glaring at her now, holding the box in both hands as if to shield it from her.

"What's your problem?" Mizore snapped. "It's not like I was going to steal it." Yusuke looked down on the open box, gently rubbing the pendant. His expression changed. He looked it the box with reverence…no, with a loving tenderness. His eyes glistened over, as if seeing something that wasn't there.

An inexplicable anger shot through her. _That's it. I've had enough of this!_ Mizore thought. "Yusuke, what the hell is going on? Stop keeping me in the dark and tell me! What happened?"

The enigmatic young man closed the box and closed his eyes. "Shirayuki," he whispered, "do you believe in the afterlife?"

Mizore tilted her head, unsure of how to answer, or even what he was asking.

"Allow me to rephrase: Do you believe in an existence after you die? A paradise of some sort?"

She decided to play along, if only to learn at what he was getting at. "My people believe that when we die," she explained, "our souls travel back into the snowy mountains of our home, waiting to be reborn anew."

"Reincarnation…" Yusuke looked at the snow girl, eyes filled with sadness. "Let me assure you that there is a life after death. For the souls of the departed, there is a form of eternal paradise. But that's just one side of the coin. For every heaven, there is a hell."

"What's your point?"

Yusuke stretched his arms out, and the sickly, black wings emerged from his back. "Take a good look, Yuki-onna. Behold, for before you stands a fallen angel, a denizen of Heaven that has been scorched by the very flames of Hell."

**Bite-Sized Monster Encyclopedia:**

**FALLEN ANGEL**

**An angel banished from heaven and turned mortal. This breed of monster is the rarest of all, as they only show up every several centuries. Thought to be demons because of their black wings. Very little else is known about them.**

"I have been cursed. Within my soul contains a dark creature that I cannot control. Constantly, it rages within me, fighting to come out. Its power is great, and at times, it breaks free from its shackles. I transform into a mindless beast, bent only on destruction of everyone and everything around it. You see, nothing attacked me. These wounds were caused by the power within me, when the strain becomes too gre-" He stopped, doubled over, and threw up. Mizore took a step toward him, but he impatiently waved her off, gasping for air. "It's nothing! The demon within cannot kill me. It can only make me suffer."

Mizore began to understand what he was telling her. "So that feeling…that aura I felt on my way here. That was you?" He nodded. "Yusuke…" In her mind, a mental picture of a fearful Matoko, just before the two friends had reconciled, appeared, her words ringing from within her memory:

_I lost control of my powers. I'm sorry, Mizore. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to._

_He's just like Matoko,_ Mizore thought, saddened. _Holding in something they have little to no control over. It hurts them and everyone around them. And there's absolutely nothing they can do…nothing_ I_ can do…_

Yusuke tore his gaze away from her, disgusted. "Please. The last thing I need is your pity, Yuki-onna."

All traces of sympathy vanished instantly. She bit her tongue, holding back the nasty retorts and insults that would have put him in his place. _I wasn't giving you pity! _Mizore thought indignantly. Instead, she willed herself to stay calm, for she still had one last question to ask. "Who is Izumi?"

Yusuke turned quickly at the mention of the name. "How do you know that name?" he demanded.

_Seems like I struck a chord_, she thought, slightly enjoying that fact that she now had him under her reigns. "You were hallucinating. You called me Izumi. Was that someone you knew? Is that her necklace?"

Yusuke looked at the snow girl dead in the eye, cutting her off. "Ms. Shirayuki," he said softly, despite the obvious anger coursing through him, "I am terminating our agreement."

Mizore's eyes widened. "…What?"

He turned his back to her, his wings acting as a curtain between his face and Mizore. "I don't want you coming here any longer. You are no longer welcome here, in the cave or the flower field. If you do come back, I will treat you like any other trespasser."

Silence punctuated the cave for several painful moments. Mizore felt as if she had been stabbed in the chest with a knife, unable to breathe or think clearly. Finally she broke the silence, her tone frozen and icy. "So that's it, huh? That's how it's going to be?" Yusuke simply turned away. That, in its own way, dug the knife deeper into her chest. "Fine. I'll leave, if I'm that much of an inconvenience to you."

Mizore had had enough. She moved back toward the mouth of the cave, but stopped. She looked back at Yusuke, who still had his back to her. "That day of the storm, when you listened to me and helped me with my problems, I thought that you were actually a good person inside that shell. I thought you were someone who cared. I guess I was mistaken. You call yourself an angel, yet inside that shell of yours, you're as dark as the wings on your back."

Yusuke said nothing as she sharply turned away and climbed back up the steps on the side of the cliff leading topside. When she reached the wide expanse of flowers, she walked in rapid strides, pumping her anger into each step.

From deep within the meadow of white, the dark form of Shadow dashed straight to her, fear gone and replaced with her usual playfulness. Mizore's hands transformed into giant, menacing ice claws, looming over the pup. She felt a sick feeling of pleasure as Shadow yipped in fear and sped off towards the direction of the cave. _That's right,_ Mizore thought cruelly,_ run back to your angelic master, little pup. See if he cares about you._

A few steps later, deep remorse filled her heart, the image of Shadow's frightened expression stuck on her mind. _Why did I do that? What did Shadow ever do to me? All this wasn't her fault. It's not even my fault! How did things turn so badly so quickly?_

Mizore reached the end of the field. From her position, she could see Yokai Academy clearly in the distance. The sun was setting on the horizon.

_What had happened today?_ She had saved that boy Hiro from a bully, Ryuu had stopped to apologize to her, and Hiro later offered to help her study for midterms. All that felt like it happened weeks ago. Things were finally starting to turn better than they had ever been, and in less than an hour, they had instead turned far worse than she could have ever imagined.

She was about to walk away from the only sanctuary she had. The only safe haven to the pain that stemmed from the very place she was about to return to.

Mizore walked forward, headed straight toward Yokai Academy. She didn't look back. Not even once.


	15. Prelude to Tragedy

**Ch. 15- Prelude to Tragedy**

"T-thanks for inviting me out like this, M-Mizore!" Hiro said, eyes shining behind his glasses despite how much he was shivering.

The ice girl shrugged it away, walking through the bustling alleys of Yokai's shopping district. "Don't worry about it. To tell the truth, I think I just needed an excuse to stop studying."

Hiro paused, taping his chin thoughtfully. "You d-did seem to struggle the first few days…"

"Really?" Mizore asked, trying to feign surprise.

"What, you don't remember? One time we went to the library to study and you froze half the bookcases in frustration."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said dismissively. "You must be imagining things."

"Freezing bookcases now, are you?" Matoko asked with a slight grin. "Having trouble keeping your powers in check? I can refer you to the most excellent teacher on how to control them…"

"No thanks. I think Ms. Jones has her hands full with just you."

It was Thursday afternoon, and the shopping district was alive with activity. Banners were strewn across the top of the stores with motivational messages such as "Good Luck, Yokai Students!", "Study Hard For Those Exams!" and so on. Others advertised pre-exam special deals on their products, which might have explained the reason why the area was so packed.

The nearing end of November didn't just bring in midterms to the school, but also a severe temperature drop. Although the afternoon sky was clear and the sun was fully shining, it was close to the lower forties with a chilly wind. Mizore noticed that almost everybody inside the district was bundled up in their coats and gloves. She glanced at Hiro, in his orange jacket and cap. His breath puffed from his mouth and fogged his glasses. The orange puffball dangling from the end of his cap shook in sync with his constant shivering. _No wonder he gets picked on a lot,_ Mizore thought amusingly. Matoko wore her typical black dress, complemented with an un-zipped wool hoodie.

Hiro had been true to his word. Mizore had spent frequent evenings in the library with him, working on mid-term reviews. It had been grueling at first, as Hiro had kindly reminded her, but in just the past two weeks, she had been seeing her grades turn from F's to B's. Even Matoko joined in a little while after their tutoring had begun.

Hiro sniffed, looking at Mizore's choice of dress. "Are you sure you're alright, wearing just that?"

"I'm yuki-onna. I'm used to far colder climates." Mizore was wearing the school's traditional skirt with a blue-sleeved white sweatshirt. Compared to the crowd's desperate attempt to layer up to stay warm, she had to admit that she stuck out.

Hiro tried to smile and suppress a shiver at the same time. "R-right."

Matoko looked at him inquisitively. "You seem to be pretty cold yourself, Hiro, considering how layered up you are."

"I'm j-just not used to the c-c-cold, is all."

After a short walk, Matoko spotted a large tent with several benches by some beverage sellers. Mizore offered to get drinks while Matoko and Hiro settled on some spare seats.

Matoko watched her friend get into a long line of customers.

"What's wrong, Matoko?" Hiro asked innocently. He traced her gaze to Mizore, still waiting in line. "Is something the matter?"

"No," Matoko replied, but didn't look away. "It's nothing." She was quiet for several seconds, and then asked, "Hiro, have you noticed anything strange about Mizore lately?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"It's just…" Matoko paused, trying to form the words in her mind. "She's been acting rather odd, lately. I first noticed it a few weeks ago, around the time you started tutoring her. It's as if she's hiding something."

"Really?" Hiro asked. "I get what you're saying, but isn't she always like that?"

Matoko finally looked at her hands. "I've been her friend for several months now. I know it's not a long time, but I usually have a pretty good idea on what she's feeling by looking at her."

"I guess being a psychic does help in that department, huh?" Hiro joked, but Matoko didn't even smirk. "Uh, sorry. Bad joke. But what do think is wrong with her?"

"It's hard to explain. But whenever I look into her eyes…it looks like something is dead inside."

"What?" Hiro glanced back at Mizore, as if he could see her into her eyes from so far away. "You're sure?"

"Almost positive."

"Well, have you talked to her about it at all?" Matoko shook her head. "Why not?"

Matoko looked at him impassively. "Normally, Mizore's pretty open to me with her problems. We talk about everything, yet…something must be seriously wrong for her to bury it deep within herself."

"Seems like one big chance, there. Besides," Hiro pointed out, "can't you just read her mind to see what's wrong? Wouldn't it…be…uh…" He went silent under Matoko's look. "Never mind, forget I asked."

Matoko smiled sadly. "It's fine. But I swore never to use my abilities to budge into her business, if I can help it. One thing you need to know about girls, Hiro, is that there are some problems that we must face alone. If Mizore needs someone to talk to, it's our job as her friends to be there for her, right? Until then, don't make it obvious that we noticed, got it?"

"Gotcha!" Hiro rubbed his gloved hands together for extra warmth. "You know, I'm beginning to think she got the whole expressionless façade thing from you." That earned him a light punch to the head. "Oww…."

Mizore returned shortly afterward, holding three large, steaming mugs. "I got you guys some hot chocolate to warm you…up…" As she sat down, she glanced at Hiro, who was rubbing in forehead, and Matoko, pointedly looking away both of them. "Something happen while I was gone?"

"Nope," they both said at the same time.

Mizore arched an eyebrow, watching them both critically while taking a sip from her own mug. _Oh, what I wouldn't give to have psychic powers right now…_

* * *

><p>The sun was beginning to dip as evening set in as the group finally left the shopping district. The wind had died down, but the temperature was still dropping. Hiro was shivering so bad that he had to excuse himself for the night.<p>

"Thanks for everything, Mizore!" he called, waving as he entered the male dormitories. "Good luck tomorrow!"

"Good kid," Matoko remarked, as the two made their way back to their own dorm building.

"Yeah," Mizore agreed. "To tell you the truth, I think we're the only friends he's got."

"Is that so?"

Mizore was silent for a moment, recalling the memory. "He told me after our first tutoring meeting. Apparently, it's always the same thing. Someone asks him for help, and they take him for granted and make him do the homework instead. I mean, he's even smart enough to tutor the _seniors_ with their homework. But even then, his supposed 'friends' turn against him when the people he helps coerce him into doing all the work._ The closest thing people ever viewed me as was a 'friend with benefits', _is what he said_._"

"Hmm…he did seem like he was enjoying himself today, considering that you and I aren't the most social bunch."

"Perhaps…" Mizore bit her lip. "I think all he needs is some real friends, like you and me. Don't you remember when I met you? I was scared and alone. I…I guess I just say a part of me in him."

"How sentimental, Mizore," Matoko sighed. "Just be sure and don't take him for granted, or the poor kid might snap. Anyway, I don't remember signing any contract saying I had to be his friend."

"Heartless as ever, Matoko." The two laughed.

_Yeah, Hiro's a good guy. He just needs someone to trust and look up too. It wasn't too long ago when I felt just as lost and alone…_the image of flowers came popped up in her mind, along with a little black puppy, and a cave…

"Mizore, what is it?" Matoko asked, detecting her drop in happiness.

Before she could answer, a voice called out from behind them. "Hey, Ms. Shirayuki! Wait up!" They both turned around to see Ryuu jogging up to them.

Mizore's demeanor shifted instantly from depressed to happy in a split second. "Oh, hi Ryuu," Mizore said, smiling. "How are you?"

"I'm quite well, thank you," Ryuu said, returning the smile. "Actually, do you have a minute?" He glanced apologetically at Matoko. "I'm sorry if I was interrupting anything…"

"No, it's fine," Matoko dismissed, walking back toward the dorms on her own. "I'll see you tomorrow, Mizore. Don't forget about the exams tomorrow." After a few steps, she caught a furtive glance at Ryuu before walking away from eyesight.

"So how are you feeling about the mid-terms tomorrow?" Ryuu asked.

"I'm not too worried about it, to say the least. If you asked me that a few weeks ago, I would be a bit more worried."

"Studying hard?"

"Yeah, thanks to a friend who's better at that stuff than I am."

"Don't say that," Ryuu said. "Everyone has their strengths. But it's good to see you got people who support you."

"Yeah…what about you?"

Ryuu did a dismissive wave. "The exams are nothing I haven't done before, but somehow it just keeps coming back to haunt me every year."

"I guess that might not be one of your strengths then."

Ryuu chuckled, which made Mizore's heart flutter a little. "You're right about that. Say…" he paused, as if unsure what to say.

"What is it?" Mizore asked. Even though she had only a few conversations with him, she was surprised to see her confident crush be so hesitant.

"Well, in case you didn't have anything planned after the exams, perhaps we could hang out or something?"

At first, Mizore thought she didn't hear him right. "Huh?"

"I asked if you'd like to hang out sometime after the exams are over, like during the weekend, as a celebration to the end of midterms."

Mizore could feel her face burn, and her mind suddenly began coughing like a dying engine.

Ryuu tilted his head. "Um, Ms. Shirayuki?"

"But," Mizore finally managed to say, "what about….your girlfriend, Ishiku?"

Ryuu merely shrugged. "You don't have to worry about her. She promised she wouldn't pull anything. Besides, it's just a hangout. So what do you say?"

"Y-yes!" Mizore said, barely containing her excitement. "I'd love to go, Ryuu!" _Is this really happening? Is this a dream? Am I dreaming? If so, please don't wake up. Just let me enjoy it a little longer._

Ryuu grinned. "That's great! I was thinking we could go check out the lake, or the flower field just outside the campus. I've heard that it's a real sight to…see…" He trailed off at the sight of Mizore's expression. "Is something wrong?"

She looked up at him, keeping a forced smile. "It's nothing. The lake sounds like a great idea. I'd be happy to go."

Convinced, Ryuu took a step back. "That's great. It's a date then..." He winked. "…or not really. See you around, Ms. Shirayuki. Good luck on the exams tomorrow!"

"Right," she said, giving him a small wave as he walked away. "See you." Mizore didn't move until he was out of eyeshot. She noticed that the sun was almost hidden under the horizon. _I best be getting back._

As soon as she shut the door to her room, she let herself fall face-first onto her bed. She lay there for several minutes, thinking about what had just happened.

"_That's great! I was thinking we could go check out the flower field just outside the campus…"_

_I should have told Ryuu no. Just a simple no. At least, not to the flower field. I don't want to go there. I don't want to be anywhere near there. _

And then the same old thoughts and arguments that have been spiraling in her head for the past two weeks emerged once again_. But why would I care? What's Yusuke going to do? We'll probably just walk around. He wouldn't dare show his face to me, not after accusing me of nothing like that! But why would he tell me to never come back? All I did was ask about the necklace. He looked kind of…hurt. Does the necklace remind him of something? Or someone, like this Izumi girl? What was she to him? _

_Rgh, who cares? I don't, that's for sure. I don't care about him. I don't care about him. I don't…_

Suddenly her supposed day dream had shifted into a depressing nightmare.

* * *

><p>The full moon shone its celestial light on the school grounds, illuminating the grounds in a beautiful, yet eerie, glow. It had gotten even colder after the sun descended several hours ago. Howls rung through the dark sky, the lupine students soaking up the light like plants to the sun. Aside from them, the night was quiet. All of it combined made Yokai Academy seem almost tranquil.<p>

A dark, cloaked figure dashed between the dying trees. She stopped occasionally, blending into the darkness, listening for any potential followers. But no one was trailing her. She figured that if anyone did see her, they'd assume that she was just one of the nocturnal students. As a general rule of thumb, nobody bothered the creatures of the night, not even the nocturnal monsters themselves. The time to be social was when the sun was out. Nighttime was a time to soak in the rays of the moon and enjoy some solace.

For the dark figure who wanted to be left alone, this suited her just fine.

Soon enough, she had reached the small clearing, deep within the wood. Through the lunar darkness, she could make out the silhouette of a tall, incredibly thin man. Next to him, another girl was leaning on a decomposed tree, fixated on herself through a little hand mirror. As the hooded figure approached, the thin man looked in her direction and gave a deep chuckle. "I was beginning to think you weren't coming. You're boyfriend keeping you late?"

The girl with the mirror didn't look away, but instead brushed her light green hair. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Jack," she said in a sing-song voice. "We wouldn't want to make our leader mad. And believe me, she gets really scary when she's mad!"

The tall man, Jack, grinned behind his mask. "Oh, you know how I like it when things become scary, Lily."

Jack wore a thin leather suit, with buckle straps wrapped around his arms, legs, and waist. His face was covered by a smiling pumpkin mask. The girl, Lily, continued to fuss at her hair, occasionally fixing the eccentric flower hanging from her ear.

The cloaked girl ignored their jibes and stood next to them, dropping her hood. "Are the preparations complete?"

"Oh, of course," Jack said. "We are ready and waiting your command to move."

The cloaked figure turned to him. "Is there a problem?"

"Not personally," Jack answered, not intimidated. "But the troops are getting restless. After all, we have been waiting for your command for several weeks now."

"And what about you? Do you have any complaints?" the stranger asked Lily.

The girl looked away from the mirror for the first time. "I'm in no hurry. I merely follow your orders, though I am itching for some action." She paused, as if considering something. "I think it wise to tell you…we did have one disobedient underling who got tired of waiting and deserted us." She flashed Jack a flirty grin. "But you needn't worry. Our cover wasn't blown. Jack took care of him, didn't you?"

Behind the pumpkin mask, red eyes flashed as Jack softly chuckled. "It was a little messy, but the job was done. I don't think I heard a single complaint from the other soldiers after that. Besides, they needed a reminder that insubordination is not tolerated Fairy Tale."

"Fairy Tale?" the stranger mocked. "That's what your little organization is called now?"

"Terrible name, right?" Lily made a face as if it left a bad taste in her mouth. "How are we supposed to strike fear into all who hear of our organization with a name like that?"

The stranger raised a hand in silence. "Forget I asked." To Jack, the stranger said, "Tell the troops the wait is over. We attack tomorrow morning."

"Excellent," Jack hissed.

"Alright!" Lily cheered.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have exams tomorrow morning. I must get my rest." The stranger turned away, but paused. "By the way, there's one last favor I'd like to ask of you. There's a certain freshman here in the school. Pale skin, blue hair and she has the ability to manipulate ice."

"Oooooooh!" Lily cooed. "You got a grudge against someone?" She gave a theatrical gasp. "Is this particular girl after your man? Ha ha! A love triangle! A rivalry! Oh, I just can't resist the suspense!"

"A particular casualty?" Jack's red eyes narrowed, and then he chuckled darkly. "Consider it done. Her head will be brought to you on a silver platter."

The stranger turned away, but underneath the hood, a crooked smile stretched. "Oh, no need to go to such lengths, Jack. In fact, I wouldn't want to see any part of her ever again. Wipe her off the face of the earth. Leave nothing left." With that, the stranger melted into the darkness of the night.


	16. Assault on Yokai Academy

**Ch. 16- The Assault On Yokai Academy**

Mizore groaned, numbly aware that someone was calling her name. She opened her eyes, but all she could see was black. The dark void. She was alone again. Or was she? Mizore realized she was lying on the ground. Then again, everything was black. Was there even any ground? She could be floating for all she knew. Slowly, Mizore stood straight. There was definitely something there that let her stand. Not that she could see it. Was she blind?

There it was again. Her name. Someone else was here. Calling for her. She looked around to find who it was. But she could see no one, for there was no one. But that didn't make sense. Someone was there. Someone had to be. But who was it? Where were they? She was alone…but she wasn't at the same time. What did this mean?

_**Snow Fairy…**_

There it was. That girl's voice from before. The one's from her dreams. _Wait, am I dreaming then? Since when did I fall asleep?_

_**Evil is close. An evil that will break and destroy all in its path. An evil…that seeks you.**_

_What is this, some kind of prophecy_? _A foretelling of the future_? Blind or not, Mizore didn't want to hear this mysterious voice again. She turned away and started walking, trying to put distance between her and the voice. But it followed her, as if hovering right over her shoulders, whispering into her ears.

_**You mustn't forsake those who care about you, Snow Fairy. Only those who are close can provide you with protection. Especially he who shoulders your pain, for he suffers most.**_

_How about you start making sense?_ Mizore challenged the voice._ Enough with the riddles, already! What the hell do you want from me? Who are you?_

A ringing silence followed. Mizore was beginning to think that she scared the ephemeral voice off when a faint whisper reached her ears.

_**Snow Fairy…awaken.**_

Before she knew it, Mizore awoke to the morning light peeking through her curtains. She wanted nothing more than to simply cover her head with her sheets. But she was wide awake now, thanks to that dream.

_If that was truly a prophecy,_ Mizore thought bitterly, _I can understand why the Snow Priestess must never want to sleep. _A rhythmic knocking on her door signaled that Matoko had arrived. Brushing the sleepiness from her eyes and calling that she'll be out in a minute, Mizore quickly grabbed articles of her school uniform.

Mizore had dismissed the whole matter as a bad dream by the time she departed toward the campus with Matoko. Throughout the walk, in the back of her mind, the remnants of her dream still resonated, as if refusing to be forgotten.

About half an hour later, the two girls arrived at the building, where many students were loitering around. As was evident by the school uniform jackets everyone was wearing, the cold from the previous day had returned with a vengeance. Mizore, as always, welcomed it. It set a sense of calm within her that very few things in the world ever did. At the moment, she needed every piece of serenity she could muster.

"Hey, Mizore! Matoko!" They both turned to see Hiro jogging up to them. His breath came out in foggy bursts.

"Morning, Hiro," Mizore and Matoko greeted.

Hiro pushed his over-sized glasses up to the bridge of his nose. "How are you feeling, Mizore? Are you ready for this?"

"Fine," Mizore lied, her foreboding dream still clinging to her memory. "I just want to get this stupid exam over and done with."

In an attempt to cheer her up, Hiro grinned. "Don't worry too much about this one. The final exams taken at the end of next semester are going to be harder than this, but they both are going to have huge impacts one our grades, and…uh…" He faltered as Mizore's expression grew slightly more troubled and Matoko began shooting daggers with her eyes at him. He coughed. "So, uh, when are you guys taking the exams?"

The day was to be sectioned into three testing sessions, with a portion of the student body taking the exam in each segment. If a class wasn't taking the exam, they were to be sitting in the classroom studying until the day was over. All in all, it was going to be a rough day.

"I'm taking it during the second session," Matoko answered.

"First," said Mizore. She was partially glad that she would be able to get the exam done quickly instead of brooding on it throughout the day.

Hiro chuckled darkly. "I got it third. Pretty convenient, cause the newspaper club needs all hands on deck if we want to get the latest issue printed on time."

"I didn't know you were in the newspaper club," Mizore commented.

"Yup!" Hiro nodded, pushing his glasses back up. "Mostly I do the editing of the stories, but lately I've been doing a lot study columns for these exams."

A memory emerged from Mizore's mind. When she was still under suspension, Ms. Nekonome had once brought a copy of the school newspaper for her. Although she had only skimmed over it at the time, she did glance at a section of the paper that contained study tips and advice. _So that was all Hiro's work?_ she pondered. _Kinda wish I read those sooner._

Despite being in the same year, and usually in the same classes, Mizore was assigned to a testing room apart from Matoko and Hiro. After wishing both of them luck, Mizore quickly made her way to her testing room, just making it before the bell rang. She silently went to her seat, test booklet about a half inch thickness already lying there in wait for her.

The proctor, a squat woman in her forties, began to take attendance. _Come on, Mizore,_ she thought. _Hold together. You've prepared for this._

She stared at the textbook on the desk. _Just because I started the school year late doesn't mean I'm going to fail,_ she vowed to herself_. I've worked too hard to fall short._

The old woman turned to the chalkboard and begin explaining the testing procedures. _Just get past these next few hours. It'll be over and done with. And, once it's over, I'll finally get to spend time with Ryuu… _The last thought sent a rush of adrenaline and sense of invincibility through her body. _I can do this._

The proctor finished explaining the testing rules, instructed everyone to open the booklets and begin.

The front door to the main building opened as a boy peeked outside. The morning sun was in full shine, and the temperature had become more moderate from the previous day's frigidity. The boy looked around. No one was around. "Come on, let's go!" the boy whispered to his companion before sprinting toward the nearest batch of trees. Once he arrived, he quickly glanced around, making sure no one saw him. Another head popped out from behind the doors, and the boy quickly motioned that the coast was clear.

His companion, a girl with long brown hair, ran to where he was, but seemed to be much slower. The boy feared for a second that her slowness was going to get them caught. When she finally reached the grove, she bent over, gasping for hair from the run.

"You call that running?" the boy snarled, eyes peeled for any movement around them. The girl continued to wheeze for air. "And would you quiet down? Someone's going to hear you!"

The girl regained her breath, and the boy listened intently. No sound. With a sigh of relief, he looked past the girl toward the forest that stretched beyond. "I think we're clear. Come on, let's hurry and move before someone does find us."

"Wait a minute!" the girl said in an urgent voice, grabbing hold of the boy's jacket. "This is wrong! We shouldn't be outside the campus!"

The boy wistfully shrugged it off and continued walking. "Ah, who cares? We have the last testing session; that's not till late afternoon. All we'd be doing is sitting in the classroom until then. Talk about boring!"

"But what if we're caught?" the girl asked with genuine fear. She obviously had a better sense of responsibility than her conniving friend. Despite that, she followed closely behind him.

"That's easy," the boy said with a wink. "Don't get caught. It's as simple as that. Besides, I didn't ask you to come."

"Yes you did! You said that 'skipping is so boring without someone else'!"

The delinquent boy scratched his head, feeling foolish. "You weren't supposed to hear that…"

The sound of a snapping twig made them both shoot their heads back. "W-what was that?" the girl asked, her voice tiny.

The boy looked around, but all he saw was trees. Little rays of sunlight flickered from above, filtered by the dense clouds and tree branches overhead. "Who's there?" he called out.

"Oops," a creepy, airy voice whispered behind him. "You weren't supposed to hear that."

The boy turned around quickly, barely able to register surprise. He felt a large hand clutch his head. Through the corner of his eye, he saw a pumpkin mask, with sinister red eyes glowing behind the slits.

"Dream," masked stranger hissed. His palm suddenly glowed red, and the boy stopped struggling. A second later, he began to scream and his body racked with spasms, as if in extreme pain. The girl stepped back in fear, but her leg caught on something and she fell backward. The masked monster released his grip, and the boy fell limply, his eyes rolled up and foam gushing from his mouth. The sight of him rooted the girl to the spot. A scream began to form, but she was so frightened that the sound froze in her throat.

More rustling came from all around. Several monsters of various types and sizes stepped out from behind trees and down from the branches. The girl's heart pounded within her chest, she was sure everyone could hear it. And they were all staring at her with malicious intent.

The masked creature turned to her, red eyes pulsing with evil pleasure. "You're next," the masked man snarled, taking a step closer.

Mizore, along with all the other students in her class, turned toward the window at the sound of screams. Closely followed was an explosion that caused the hanging headlamps to shake and rattle violently. Shouts of fright came from some of the students as the teacher tried to restore calm. Suddenly a blaring alarm blasted through the school's intercom.

"**THIS IS AN EMERGENCY**," a feminine voice sounded from the intercom. "**YOKAI ACADEMY IS UNDER ATTACK BY AN UNKNOWN FORCE. ALL STUDENTS, PLEASE STAY IN YOUR CLASSROOMS. ALL FACULTY, REPORT TO YOUR HEAD LEADERS FOR INSTRUCTIONS. THIS IS NOT A DRILL, I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT A DRILL."**

There was nothing but pandemonium. Students scrambled for the door, their screams effectively drowning out the teacher's efforts at restoring calm. Between getting shoved around by the chaotic mass, Mizore glanced out the windows. There were tens, maybe hundreds, of monsters of various sizes and forms storming the academy courtyard. Many had already breached the campus grounds, while more endless poured from the dense patches of trees. Any students in their path were mowed down with ease. The sounds of their footfalls were tremendous, shaking the ground beneath her feet like a small earthquake.

Someone knocked into her shoulder and she fell onto the floor. A second later, there was a deafening boom, and the glass windows shattered inward, spraying glass particles all over the place. Mizore covered her eyes, feeling shards cut into her hands and arms.

What was once the wall was now a giant gaping hole several feet long. Concrete and debris was strewn all around the classroom. The other students were shakingly getting to the feet, looking dazed and confused by the concussion.

Suddenly two winged monsters descended into the class room, landing just feet from where Mizore lay. Their wings and bodies were a leathery black color and both stood well over six feet. Their faces were flat with long fangs extending over their lips and black horns that curled around their heads. Their appearance only worsened the calamity as the students pushed harder toward the door, which served only as a funnel.

One of them slowly crept up to the cowering students, while the one closer to Mizore noticed her lying between some of the desks and chuckled. It held an arm up toward its chest. With a single massive swing, several desks and papers were sent flying away. Mizore quickly got on her feet and allowed her hands to form into razor sharp claws.

The demon extended a gnarled hand toward to grab her, but Mizore slashed at it. The monster howled in pain, withdrawing his hand as it started to bleed. It reeled back its other hand to punch her, but Mizore dodged as its fist decimated a desk, reducing it into a pile of twigs.

Mizore formed ice needles in between her fingers, continuously throwing two at a time at the demon's head. But the creature blocked her projectiles with its massive hand.

Keeping its hand in front of its face, it lunged with a speed Mizore didn't expect. Mizore barely dodged its charge, but was punched in the stomach by what felt like a solid boulder, knocking the air out of her lungs. The punch launched her several feet back.

Mizore landed on the floor, her vision blurry. A deep throated laugh came from in front of her. A cool wind blew from behind, and her toes didn't find any floor underneath. She realized she was lying near the edge of the destroyed wall, a sheer three story drop waiting a few inches away.

The demon was approaching for the kill; she could feel the floorboards shake and creak with each of its footsteps. What would her assaulter do: throw her off outside or beat her into a pulp right then and there?

She got to her knees, snapping out of her daze. But the demon was already pulling its arm back, ready to push her off.

Someone else tackled the demon from the side, taking it by surprise. Mizore watched as the two wrestled, taking the moment to get on her feet and step away from the edge of the room. She glanced around the classroom. The place was a total mess, with demolished desks and debris lying all over the place. All the other students had already escaped, but the sounds of destruction could be heard from all directions, as if through the walls. She caught sight of the second winged demon, hunched over in the far corner, either unconscious or dead. Mizore figured the newcomer who saved her took care of him before helping her.

She turned back to the two monsters scrambling around in the center of the floor. Her savior, from what she could tell from the tangled mesh, was a bulky male with slate grey skin. Although his shirt was ripped into shreds, he had on the lime green pants of the uniform code. His muscles were huge; Mizore thought he was probably strong enough to easily bend a school bus. But the demon, though not as robust, was holding its own all the same. Mizore held her claws up and ready, but didn't strike in fear of hurting her fellow student instead.

The two swiftly got to their feet, but the demon was quicker, bouncing forward and knocking the grey skinned student back on the ground. It jumped on top of him, waylaying his head with powerful blows. With the demon's back to her, Mizore clasped her hands together, focusing the ice claws to form a solid wrecking ball around her hands.

Mizore raised her wrecking ball in the air and, with a shout, brought it down in full strength. She hit the back of the demon's head with a sick _THWACK_. A short gasp of pain escaped the monster's lips, and Mizore was sure it was seeing stars. The muscular student recovered, and pushed the demon off him. The black monster wobbled but stayed on its feet. Mizore charged and knocked him underneath the chin with her ice ball, and the demon stumbled back several steps, just short of the opening in the broken wall. The other student stepped forward and placed a well planted kick in the demon's chest, sending it plummeting down toward the courtyard three stories below.

Mizore didn't bother looking over the edge, but instead let her gaze travel across the grounds. The place was a complete warzone. There were groups of monsters all over the courtyards, biting, clawing, blasting, punching, dropping, and fighting each other to no end. In the air, were several winged monsters, some launching projectiles to the fighters below or engaging in aerial combat with other fliers.

The sight took Mizore's breath away. Her world had turned upside down. What began as a simple day and turned into a fight for survival.

"Are you okay, Shirayuki?" Mizore turned to see the gray muscled guy looking her over. Evidently the guy knew her name, but she didn't recognize him, partially due to his transformed state.

"I'm fine," she answered. Her body ached, but she didn't want to let that show. "I probably would have died if you hadn't helped me. Thanks for that."

Her companion waved it off. "You should hurry and keep up with the other students. It's better to stay in groups. I don't know who these guys are, but they're crazy to attack a school full of bloody monsters!"

Mizore nodded. "But aren't you coming with me?"

He shook his head, looking down into the courtyard. "I can see my friends fighting down there. I can't abandon them. Watch your back, Shirayuki, and I'll see you when this is all over." Mizore watched as he jumped down and landed heavily on the ground, quickly dissolving into the senseless fray below.

She watched the fighting for a few more moments wondering if her own friends were somewhere, possibly fighting for their lives. _Matoko, Hiro…Please be safe._ Mizore silently prayed to herself before running through the splintered door to catch up with her classmates.

Inside the newspaper club room, Hiro was hiding underneath a desk. A large section of the wall was blasted open, which the monster had entered from. From his view, a green lizard-like creature was blasting fireballs all across the classroom. A flash of black whirled around the monster as it fired and fired again at it, missing every time.

"What's wrong, lizard boy?" a mocking voice cooed. "Am I too fast for you?"

"Stop your running around and face me, werewolf!" the lizard man hissed, another fire blast forming within its jaws.

"If you say so." The dark flash stopped behind the oversized chameleon. Though he wore the emerald green uniform of the academy, its physical features were definitely not human. His nose extended to a white snout, and it had a large black mane that stretched across its face. The werewolf reached down, snatching the lizard's green tail with one furry paw. "Gotchur' tail!" The lizard squealed in surprise and pain.

Hiro watched as the werewolf picked up the lizard by the tail, swinging him around like a lasso. "Please," the werewolf cackled, "you guys are hardly a _challenge_!" With the final word, he tossed the lizard through the opening in the wall, watching as it flew across the academy grounds and landed in a plume of dust.

The werewolf sniffed. "Too easy." He looked around, but stopped when he spotted Hiro under the table. "You plan on hiding under there all day or what, Hiro?"

The bespectacled boy slowly crawled out. "S-sorry, Gin," he stammered, "but I'll leave the fighting to those who can handle it."

A shrill scream rung from the hallway, making Hiro jump. A few seconds later, a girl in a yellow polka-dotted dress ran in, holding up a large sketchpad which read: _They just keep coming! We must go where it is safe!_

Gin grunted, rolling his shoulder around. "Good. Haven't gotten in a good fight for a while. I've gotten a bit soft with you being my babysitter."

The girl looked at him incredulously as she wrote on her pad with a marker before flipping it for him to see. _This isn't the time for a workout, Gin! This is serious!_

The werewolf grinned playfully. "Aw come on, Sun! It's not every day that we get a bunch of clods just asking for a beating!" Gin glanced outside the broken opening and whistled. "Perfect! Several more are trickling into the courtyard!" He poked Hiro in the chest. "Hey, watch over Sun for me while I'm gone, got it?" And with a howl of delight, he jumped out of the opening and was gone.

Sun, looking exasperated, quickly scribbled: _Oh, that Gin._

From behind her, Hiro saw a green humanoid with slits for eyes and sharp looking scythes for arms slipping into the room through the open door. It raised a blade into the air, ready to chop Sun in half from behind. Before Hiro could even shout a warning, Sun spun on her heels and gave a shriek that rung like waves throughout the classroom. Hiro fell back, plugging his ears just in time, his whole body bombarded and pounded from the powerful sound waves. The attacker wasn't so lucky, receiving the blast straight-on, launching him back out into the hallway. He didn't emerge again.

Sun closed her lips, her voice silent, and then turned to Hiro, writing rapidly as she did so. _Sorry about that_, her sketch board read. _Follow me;_ _it's not safe here anymore._

She held out her hand, which Hiro grabbed and got on his two feet. _I think she's going to be the one watching over me, Gin, _he thought, trying to shake the insistent ringing in his ears.


	17. Hour of Reckoning

**Ch. 17- Hour of Reckoning**

Yusuke watched the dark waves cascading against the cliff face many feet below him. His bare feet dangled over the edge. The mouth of his cave lay gaping behind him, and the stone staircase to his left. A slight breeze blew on his face, cooling his body. Despite wearing his typical jeans and shirt, the frigid November air didn't bother him in the slightest. On the contrary, the chilliness sent waves of tranquility through his body. _It's the rare times like this_, he thought_, that I'm kind of thankful to have a mortal body, to feel _alive_, again._

In his right hand he held the necklace, the golden pendant shining in the morning sunlight. Yusuke twisted the knob on the side, opening the pendant. On the top half was a small picture of a young girl, with long black hair tied in a ponytail. Her ocean blue eyes looked directly at Yusuke. And she was smiling, as if she could really see him.

"Izumi…" Yusuke whispered. Ice needles began poking at his heart. Suddenly the outdoor chill didn't comfort him as much as it did moments before.

He looked at the bottom half, which contained a picture of himself a year before. The Yusuke in the picture had an annoyed look on his face, like the person holding the camera was bothering him. His hair was fully blond, and much longer.

Unconsciously, Yusuke ran his free hand through his short, spiked hair. _Those times are gone_. He sighed, closing the locket. _This mortality, this second life, is a curse. Given to me because of my sins._ _This is my new life now. A life of solitude. _

The memory of his first encounter with the snow girl, Mizore, suddenly surfaced. _"Why won't you leave me alone!" _she had raged at him. Yusuke couldn't help but grin slightly at the memory. _She had some nerve,_ he had thought, _to order him to leave when she had intruded on his nap._

_But no. As it turned out, she never really sought solitude. All she really needed was a willing ear and a voice of reason. It's funny how mortals can dilute logical thinking when they let their emotions run wild. _

Yusuke turned his eyes across the vast sea before him. It's been weeks since she was last here. He wondered whether or not that girl had heeded his words, concerning her mother and her friend. She had looked nonchalant after their little talk that rainy day, but Yusuke didn't figure her to be the arrogant, idiotic type. No, just the emotionally unstable type.

He glanced behind him, his black, sickly wings unfolding from his back.

"_The last thing I need is your pity, Yuki-onna."_

Perhaps he had gone too far with the snow girl. After all, she didn't fully understand his curse. Then again, it was none of her concern. Her coming to the flower field was never any plan of his.

_You did provide her sanctuary from her troubles at the academy,_ he reminded himself. _That was_ your _idea. It was also you who terminated the agreement._

"Yes," he said aloud. "It was me. But why? Why did I offer Mizore a place of refuge in the first place?"

Yusuke's mental reverie was interrupted when he heard barking, loud and urgent, coming from the flower field up above. He looked up, alarm shooting through him. _Someone's coming._ Getting on his feet, Yusuke ran up the staircase, taking two steps at a time, and found Shadow waiting for him at the top.

"What is it?" he asked the black dog, glancing around. He saw no one within the flower field, nor did he sense any out-of-the-ordinary presence. He checked again, looking particularly for the snow girl, if she had foolishly chosen to return. But he didn't feel her. He didn't feel any one.

"Shadow-" Yusuke started just before the dog bolted through the tall flower stalks. "Hey! Get back here!" He set off at a brisk jog after her, the flowers bending and twisting away to make a path for him.

Finally he caught sight of Shadow's tail, heading for the far end of the field. The dog stopped at the edge, glancing back to see her master jogging up. "Shadow," Yusuke said with an irritated tone, "what's gotten into yo-"

A fearsome roar split the air. Yusuke looked toward the direction of the source, his eyes widening slightly. His gaze landed on Yokai Academy, with smoke rising from the courtyards and pieces of the buildings were broken away. In the airspace above, several winged creatures clashed and collided with each other. The distinct sound of destruction echoed from the grounds.

_It's a battle,_ Yusuke observed. …_Mizore…_

* * *

><p>It didn't take long for Mizore to find the other evacuating students. The hallways were flooding with them. Some of the faculty stood at the sides of the hallways, ushering everyone away from the chaos. The group was turning into the main corridor when Mizore first caught sight of them. She quickened her pace to catch up. "Hey!" she called, "wait for-!"<p>

There was another explosion overhead, followed by shouts of panic. Mizore screamed and ducked as chunks of the roof came crashing down around her. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes. Looking up, she saw that the roof above her was blown in, and crumbling concrete spat dust all around her.

_That was close._ Through the choking and the blinding dust, Mizore maneuvered around the destruction and continued toward the entrance to the corridor. When she made it, the fleeing students and teachers were gone. She tried listening for them, but the sounds of battle echoed through the halls, masking everything else. Mizore cursed and kicked a rock in frustration. _I lost them!_

The main corridor was completely devastated. Staircases were reduced to rubble, several classroom room doors were blown apart, and the here and there were bodies of students, most still in human form with their green uniforms, bloody and unmoving. Whether they were dead or not, Mizore couldn't tell.

_How did it come to this…?_

A sudden cry pierced her thoughts. Mizore glanced to a section of the wall that was blown open, leading outside. Her feet moved on their own, quickly running around the chunks of concrete to the opening.

The first casualties of the battle were already strewn across the grounds: Students lay injured everywhere as others dragged them into the safety of the academy. Farther down toward the entrance gate was where the fighting was centered. From where she was, Mizore had a hard time determining the students from the enemy. Everyone was transformed to a point, some still wearing the lime green school uniforms. In some cases, others had grown to such sizes that what shreds remained of their clothes were barely hanging on.

She scanned the area, her eyes stopping at the elaborate water fountain in the center of the plaza. A little boy and girl were cowering before a giant, coal black snake, with its head raised about ten feet in the air, fangs bared.

Whether from a sudden burst of courage or insanity, before she knew it, Mizore was sprinting toward them, shooting shards of ice at the beast. She was aiming for the eyes, but she was too far away to throw accurately that each one bounced harmlessly off its black scales. The attack had the desired effect, though, for the beast stopped to see the newcomer approaching.

She stopped in between the children and the large serpent. "Find some place to hide and stay there! Go!" Mizore ordered the two children. The two didn't need any more motivation as they turned heel and darted toward the building.

The snake monster looked at its new prey with amusement. "Aw, sssomeone elssse came to play. Don't be impatient, my preciousss. You'll have your turn to die sssooon."

"Believe me," Mizore said, snapping her claws together, "I'll be more than you can handle, snake spit."

The giant serpent hissed. Up close, the fangs were as long as Mizore's arm. The snake struck with lightning speed. But Mizore sidestepped, landing like a feather, as the snake hit the ground, sending dirt into the air. It quickly turned and struck again. Mizore dodged again, this time taking a swipe at the creature's black scaled body. When her claws made contact, however, they simply bounced off its scaled hide. Her distraction gave her enemy enough time to recover from the charge and rise for another. Mizore ducked as it crashed in the ground again.

"Ssstop sssquirming!" the serpent hissed in frustration, shaking the dirt off its head. Mizore was also growing more and more frustrated. _This thing's scale armor is far too thick. My claws won't pierce!_

After another failed bite attack, the giant serpent did something Mizore didn't expect. Just as she had dodged, the snake swung its tail at her knocking her off her feet from behind. Mizore spun and knocked her head on the concrete, dazed. Trying to clear the stars from her vision, she got back on her feet. Before she knew it, the snake was swirling around her, coiling his body around her like a cage.

"Gotcha!" the beast cried in triumph. The coils snapped tight, pressing the air out of Mizore's lungs. She gasped, trying to swallow some air, but the snake held her too tightly. "It'sss over!" The snake gave one giant squeeze, felling his captive break and shatter. With one last look of agony, Mizore's face cracked and shattered into tiny pieces of shimmering ice.

"Too easssy," the snake-man laughed, uncoiling. All of a sudden, a sharp pain mixed with numbing cold shot through its body. "O-OW!" The shards and pieces of the ice girl began to cling to the monster's skin, just as the water from the fountain turned to ice. Cold numbness spread rapidly. "A-Ah! What is thisss?"

"A doppelganger, idiot." Freezing her hands together into the form of a giant sledgehammer, Mizore jumped up from behind the monster and slammed it on the head with a satisfying _thwack_. The snake man dropped to the ground, yellow eyes rolled up and body motionless. "Next time you fight someone with ice powers, don't do it around water." Her mouth was filled with an iron taste, and she spat out blood at the unconscious snake.

Making sure she wasn't in immediate danger from any other attackers, Mizore scanned the area. Most of the enemy had moved on to other parts of the academy. This was proven true by the sounds of battle coming from deeper inside the main building.

"Hey!" From across the front courtyard toward the far side of the campus building, Mizore saw a familiar, black haired girl waving at her. "Over here, quickly!"

"Matoko?" With a sigh of relief, Mizore ran toward her friend, dodging around stone debris. Matoko didn't wait as she darted behind a corner pillar. "H-hey, Matoko! Wait up!" Mizore picked up the pace, rounding the corner and trying to catch up. She ducked as she passed some branches from the nearby patch of trees.

Jack sat on one of the branches, effectively hidden by the surrounding brush. He watched the yuki-onna as she followed the raven haired girl around the building and away from the main fighting area.

Jack chuckled softly. "Very good, Lily. Once again, your skills are most impressive." And with a nimble leap, Jack vanished.

* * *

><p>"Matoko, where are we going?" Mizore called out, trying to catch up.<p>

The psychic didn't stop. "The other students went this way! Follow me!"

Mizore kept running, her breathing getting heavier. The adrenaline from the battle was wearing off, replaced with sudden exhaustion. The farther she ran, the more the sound of battle faded. Her arms and legs were stinging from exhaustion, and her upper back felt extremely sore all over from her encounters with the demons and the snake.

But despite the fact that she was leaving the battlefield, Mizore felt something was off. Every so often a chill would creep up her spine to her neck. She couldn't point her finger on it, but the sensation felt familiar. Every so often, she glanced around, making sure no enemies were following her or waiting to ambush them. But there was no one else around, friend or foe. Still, the tingling feeling lingered.

At last, after rounding another corner, Matoko stopped. Mizore jogged to a halt, pinching a stich in her side. They were at a corner of the campus area, with the wall splitting in two directions to her left. To her right was a corner of the building, a gaping hole leading inside a devastated classroom. Along the wall up ahead was open grass area leading to a forest of deadwood trees. "You okay?" Matoko asked, looking Mizore over with a concerned expression. "You look pretty beat up."

"I can manage," Mizore replied dismissively. Her school uniform was dirty and slightly torn, and she had cuts and bruises her and there. Her dull pain head throbbed from when she hit the ground earlier. "What about you?"

"Never better," Matoko answered. Indeed, she didn't seem winded from there retreat from the battlefield in the front courtyard. In fact, she didn't look at all affected by the sudden attack.

_Mizore…_ The snow girl spun around at the whisper. But no one was behind her, even as her odd feeling in her head grew stronger.

"What is it?" Matoko asked, quickly looking around.

"It's nothing," Mizore said quickly. "I just thought I heard something. Do you have any idea what's happening?"

Matoko shook her head gravely. "I have no idea. As soon as this started, I've been looking for you. I'm glad that you're okay. But we don't have time to waste. This attack isn't over yet, and we're still in danger." She pointed up ahead toward small forest. "We should be safe in there."

_Mizore…!_ The voice seemed like it was whispering into her ear, but still no one was around. "Shouldn't we try to find the other students?" the ice girl inquired, trying to ignore the growing pain in her head.

"And risk running into more enemy monsters? It'll be safer if we just find some place to hide and wait it out. Come on!"

Mizore took a single step before hearing the voice again. _Mizore!_ Suddenly, she recognized the voice and the weird feeling in her mind. "Matoko, are you're powers going crazy again?" Mizore grimaced, pressing her palm onto her forehead, as if to stop the pain. "What's…"

Matoko turned back with an expression of slight confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Mizore! Get away from her!"

Suddenly, the pain receded. Mizore looked toward where the voice came from, eyes widening. There, stepping out of the open hole of the building was Matoko, slightly dusty and a trickle of blood running down her forehead. In her hand was what seemed to be a long metal pipe.

"Matoko?" Mizore gasped, completely taken by surprise by the appearance of a second Matoko.

The first Matoko looked fairly surprised. "What is this? A doppelganger?"

"Don't listen to her, Mizore!" the second Matoko urged, stumbling outside. She grimaced, grabbing her side. "She's a fake!"

"Stay back," the first one said. "Don't let it trick you!"

Mizore looked from one to the other. _Th-there are two of them! But which one is the real Matoko?_

The voice in Mizore's head, Matoko's voice, echoed in her skull. _I'm the one with the pipe, Mizore! The one you've been following isn't me! She's leading you into a trap!_

The first Matoko had already rushing up to the wounded Matoko. "I'm taking you down now, you little imposter!" She cut off when a wall of ice sprouted from the ground between the two. The next second, spikes shot out of the wall, but she somersaulted backward. "Hey, what's the big idea?"

"That's good enough." From behind her, Jack stepped nimbly to her side. "The real one probably used her psychic abilities to communicate with the girl. Looks like your cover is blown."

"Tch." The fake Matoko growled. Then her body began to disintegrate from her feet up, before rematerializing into her true form. The raven black hair turned short and lime green, and she held the golden oval mirror in her hand. "I was getting tired of the disguise anyway. It's so hard to run with those boots. And what's worse was ME acting like I was actually wounded and dirty in battle!" Lily made a turned her nose up at the mere memory of it before looking up at her tall companion. "But that girl definitely fits the description of our target, right, Jack?"

"Yes," Jack said. "I'm almost completely sure that's her. Whether she is or not doesn't matter; her hour of reckoning has come." His hands began to light up as flames began to burn within his palms.

Lily giggled. "Shall we go and say hello?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**_ Excuses for this late release are Christmas and New Years, range week, and college work. Once again, I had to cut a large portion out of this chapter because it was getting too big. On the brighter side, the next chapter is more than halfway done! I expected this battle to last one chapter, but instead it grew to three! Imagine that. ^_^ So I hope to have chapter eighteen out within the next two weeks. And by that, only God know when they'll be finished. Haha. See you guys then!_


	18. What Is It You Fear?

**Ch. 18- What Is It You Fear?**

"Matoko!" Mizore was immediately kneeling by her friend's side. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she grunted with an attempted grin. "Just a little roughed up. Compared to all you monsters, I'm not much of a fighter."

Mizore gave her a once over. Her dark dress was torn here and there, and her right arm was smudged with blood. Looking at herself, the yuki-onna was surprised to see how dirty and battle worn she may have seemed. "Looks like you've been doing well," Mizore commented, noticing how bent the pipe in Matoko's hand was.

"Three unconscious," Matoko stated matter-of-factly. "It was the first thing I could find. As soon as all hell broke loose, I extended my consciousness out, trying to find you."

"You can do that?" Mizore asked as she swung Matoko's arm around her shoulder, helping her stand. "Looks like your training with Ms. Jones is starting to pay off."

"Mental radars do come in handy." Matoko cringed as she got to her feet. "For a while, I couldn't get any trace of you. I was beginning to think you were dead. Then I felt your mind way out here, and tried calling to you telepathically."

"So that voice in my head…that was you?"

Matoko nodded, looking at the ice wall. "Seems like I came in at the nick of time."

"Remind me to thank you later. For now, we have to get out of here."

In a flash of light and heat, the ice wall exploded into pieces. Mizore dragged Matoko down just in time, dodging the shards of ice whizzing overhead. The air was instantly filled with hot smoke.

Mizore was the first to look. "Looks like the fake brought a friend."

From the gaping hole in the ice wall, two figures stepped over the rubble. One of them was very tall, a black leather suit stretched over his long, thin limbs. Several black belts were bound tightly around his waist, legs and arms. His face was concealed by a smiling, rubber, Halloween pumpkin mask that completely covered his head. Two red eyes glared at the two girls as he walked casually over.

"Interesting," the monster said, his voice dripping with menace, "the helpless little schoolgirl is joined by the real psychic."

**Bite-Sized Monster Encyclopedia:**

**JACK-O-LANTERN**

**A demon of pure malice and hatred, they are capable of smelling fear from the living from long distances. Summons flaming pumpkins as projectiles. Through physical contact, these monsters can send their victims into a nightmarish illusion. They are strongest on the night of Halloween.**

The second person, Lily, seemed to be no different than a fourteen year old human. She was short, sporting a simple, white dress that dropped to her ankles. Her hair was lime green, cut to the nape of her neck. In her right hand was a gold-framed hand mirror, which, for a second, Mizore thought was glowing. "I can't believe this girl could be so easily tricked, Jack! But friends do make great leverage when it comes to luring out prey!"

**Bite-Sized Monster Encyclopedia:**

**LILITH**

**A descendant of the first wife of Adam from the beginning of the Earth. Also known as the Mistress of Beasts, she uses dark magic to trap the souls of animals and monsters within her magic mirror and enslaving them. Also capable of changing her appearance to resemble anyone at will.**

Still holding her friend upright, Mizore quickly weighed out her options. Another thing was Matoko's current condition, although she wasn't feeling to battle-capable herself. _I'll probably have a better shot at fighting them, but we both won't last long._ "Matoko, can you still move by yourself? Can you still run?"

"Don't even think I'm going to turn tail while you fight them," Matoko scowled.

"Actually, I was hoping you could distract them long enough for me to get away."

"Get serious here! These two are probably stronger than everyone else. We aren't going to last long."

"What about your injuries?"

With a small grunt, Matoko pushed herself off of Mizore, gripping her pipe tightly. "Mind over matter, Mizore. I still can hold my own."

Thoughts raced through Mizore's head. Matoko was ultimately right; they wouldn't last if it came to a fight, but they were in no condition to run far if pursued. And the majority of the battle was being fought on the other side of the academy campus; it was highly unlikely that anyone would come to their aid. They were, figuratively and literally, being forced into a corner.

_Looks like our only option is to fight_. Drawing a deep breath, Mizore allowed her inner powers to awaken. Her hands crystalized into lethally sharp claws, her hair formed into icicles, and the ground beneath her feet froze solid. Beside her, Matoko got to her feet, holding her pipe at the ready.

Lily's eyes went wide. "Oh! Oh! Oh! Look at that! She has ice powers, Jack!"

"Yes," the masked monster replied. "Pale skin, blue hair, and looks about the age of a first year. She fits the boss's description perfectly."

"So? What should we do?"

"You know our orders, Lily."

"Can I be the one to kill her? Can I?"

"Only if you can do it before me."

After exchanging a questioning glance at Matoko, Mizore shouted, "Are you two going to stand there and talk pleasantries all day?"

"Oh, so sorry to keep you waiting!" Lily said theatrically. "We were just a bit surprised, is all."

"What are you talking about?"

"The one who ordered the attack on this pathetic excuse of a school," Jack explained, "told us to only cause a bit of a chaos. I don't understand it nor do I care why, but the boss wants us to kill a freshman girl who fits your description specifically."

"What?" Mizore glanced at Matoko, who looked just as shocked confused as she was.

"What do you mean by that?" Matoko demanded.

"As I said," Jack hissed, "I don't care. So sorry, but you will die now. Boss's orders." His gloved hands began to flicker with a strange light, and the next second, he was holding two fireballs in each hand. "Take this!" With the pinpoint dexterity of a baseball pitcher, Jack pulled back his arms before tossing them straight at the girls. Mizore dashed toward the wall just as the flaming projectile exploded upon impact like a bomb. Flames spread like napalm, incinerating the grass around it. Even though Jack had missed, Mizore still felt the heat haze bite at her skin. It wasn't long before more fire bombs rained down from above like artillery.

"Mizore, split up!" Matoko shouted, running around the corner for cover.

Freezing the ground underneath her, Mizore skated across the field, dodging the constant bombardment. _Matoko isn't fast enough to dodge this maniac's attacks. I'll have to distract him._ Much of the grass had already caught fire, sending plumes of black smoke into the air. Using her skating technique, Mizore slid around the fires, trying to locate Jack, but the obscuring smoke and constant bombardment from the air made it nearly impossible.

"Run, run, run, my little snow girl!" Jack's cackling voice came from nowhere, but she could tell that he was enjoying every moment.

Inquick turning moves, Mizore maneuvered around his attacks, getting closer for a frontal assault. When she got close enough to see the red in his eyes, she aimed a deadly slash at his head. Jack nimbly leaned backward, and Mizore's claws sailed right over his masked face.

"Too slow!" Jack quickly recovered, cackling, with more magical fire pulsating in his palms ready for launch. "You're going to have to do better than that if you don't want to get burned!"

* * *

><p>Not far from them, Matoko faced Lily, the latter looking smug. "Do try to last longer than a few minutes," Lily sang, lifting her hand mirror over her head. "Spirit of the Mirror! Your master calls upon you!"<p>

The mirror grew dark, and a human face appeared inside it. The face was completely featureless; it was missing eyes, ears, mouth, and nose. "As you wish," a disembodied voice chanted. There was a flash of light, and several crystalline beasts appeared beside the Lilith. There was a panther, a unicorn, and a falcon, all with bodies made of shimmering diamond.

"Now you'll see why I'm known as the Mistress of Beasts!" Lily laughed. "After her, my pets! Rip her to shreds!"

The panther bounded over first, teeth bared. Matoko switched her grip of the pipe so she held it like a spear, jabbing at the beast to keep some distance. The panther stopped just out of range, snarling viciously at her. The padding of hooves made Matoko turn to see the unicorn charging at her, head down and horn ready for mauling. She leapt back, but she wasn't quick enough. The point of the horn grazed her right arm as the crystal mare charged past. _Damn,_ she thought, gritting her teeth, _three on one is going to be tough._

There was a screech up above, and then snapping of beak and talons as the Matoko ducked away from the falcon's lethal dive. The panther then pounced, but Matoko saw its sneak attack coming. With a mighty swing, the pipe knocked the big cat on the jaw, sending it flying to the side, stunned.

_They may look like crystal, but it's good that they're not as tough,_ she analyzed, slightly relieved. _This should make things easier._ She turned her attention to the unicorn, which was neighing furiously. Matoko approached it cautiously, jabbing the pipe at it like a lance, making the horned horse keep its distance. "Ha!" she shouted. "Get back!"

There was an angry snarl from the panther, who had unexpectedly recovered, behind her. Matoko looked back just as it hunched on its legs and launched itself into the air. Unable to bring her pipe around in time, Matoko braced herself for the big cat's claws and teeth.

A giant icicle spike shot up from the ground, impaling the panther in mid-air. Cracks spread through its crystal skin and, with a final roar, the beast shattered like glass.

"Switch with me!" Mizore called, skating past Matoko and straight toward the unicorn. The mystical horse hardly had time to lower its horn before Mizore froze it whole. With a single snap of her fingers, the block of ice cracked and shattered into pieces.

"Got any other tricks up your sleeve?" she called out to the Lily, who was watching the struggle from a safe distance.

Lily's eyes widened, but her surprise disappeared instantly as she chuckled. "You want more? That was only an appetizer!" With another flash of light, more crystalline manikins appeared between her and Mizore. "Apparently your friend can't handle my power, so let's see how you do!"

* * *

><p>While the crystal animals were distracted, Matoko ran toward the high grass, glancing around for Jack. "Where are you, Halloween Freak?" she called out, keeping her pipe ready for a swift strike. But the masked monster didn't appear. <em>Where is he?<em> She glanced back at Mizore, who seemed completely tangled with Lily's pets. From the corner of the grass, Matoko caught sight of a dark blur moving quickly toward them. "Mizore! Behind you!"

Mizore looked back just in time as Jack raised his fiery hand. She quickly back stepped out of his reach, but with his rapid speed, he was quickly gaining on her. Lily commanded her crystal figurines to follow them.

Matoko cursed. _Of course they'd jump on her; she's the one they're after!_ Taking a quick breath, she ran as fast as she could to get back in the fight. The mirror girl was constantly summoning more minions, laughing as if she was having the time of her life. Mizore's ice claws moved lightning fast against the onslaught, cutting or freezing everything in her path. But even from her distance, Matoko could see sweat running down the ice girl's face and her movements becoming more laboring and sluggish.

A short distance away, Jack was standing by with two fresh fireballs at the ready, eyeballing Mizore with a perverse hunger.

"No you don't!" Matoko brought the pipe up over her head and swung it down with all her strength.

The pipe stopped just short of the back of Jack's head, as his hand grabbed the middle of it. Jack casually looked behind him.

"If it isn't the psychic?" Jack's red eyes turned to slits behind the mask. "We only want the snow woman, you know." In a flash, Jack's other hand grabbed her neck, lifting her in the air. "I suggest you step aside if you value your LIFE!" He threw Matoko in the dirt, knocking the wind out of her. She wheezed for air, tasting iron in her mouth.

Jack stood menacingly over her. "You're as weak as a human. In fact, you practically _are_ human. That's just pitiful. At least your friend over there is putting up a fight. Though for how much longer?"

Matoko gritted her teeth. "I'm…not going to let you…touch her!" She dived deep within her subconscious, accessing the well of power in her mind. _We'll see how he likes this._ Grabbing hold of it, she launched an attack on Jack's mind. She didn't know what she would do when she broke in, but she hoped something would happen to somehow weaken him. Feeling her mind connect to his, she closed her eyes and dived into it.

_What?_ Matoko saw nothing. Nothing but total darkness. _How is this possible?_

There was laughter. A cold chill crept up Matoko's spine. The laughing turned hysterical, reverberating inside her head and in the dark realm of Jack's subconscious.

"I was wondering when you were going to use you mental powers on me." In the physical realm, Jack was standing as still as a statue, while his voice seemed to come from everywhere in his mind. "Here, I'll give you a small taste."

Suddenly, the dark recluse was filled with complete torture. Hundreds of distorted, anguishing faces and souls flew around Matoko like a twisted maelstrom. A flood of malice and misery completely engulfed her; it almost felt like she was getting burned by it. Pain ignited from every inch of her mental being, like she was being ripped apart. Her own screams stuck in her throat, making her choke for air.

_Make it stop,_ was all she could think in the wave of pure madness. _Please make it stop!_

It was only for a few seconds, but it felt like hours. Before she knew it, it all was over, and Matoko was lying in the dirt, back in reality. Her body shook with convulsions, and her heart wouldn't stop pounding. In the back of her head, a familiar pain began to emerge. Her inner wolverine was growing restless, scratching and biting at the bars of its cage. _No! Not now!_

"Too spicy for you?" Jack whispered into her ear. Matoko looked up into his eyes. It was like looking through a mirror. What she felt while in his mind, she could see clearly through his blood red eyes. A cold shiver shot through her back.

Jack looked over at Mizore and Lily, who were fighting amongst themselves. "I think Lily will handle her for a little longer." He turned back to Matoko. "What's wrong, little psychic? Are you afraid of me?"

Matoko would have retorted back, but her fear pushed it back down her throat. Her powers began to shuffle and grind in its cage in the back of her consciousness, but the overwhelming fear drove it out of her attention. Her eyes did not, nor could not, waver from the evil creature that had dominated her so easily.

"I think," Jack said, in a deathly silent voice, "you should _show_ me what it is you fear, yes?" With deliberate slowness, he took off the leather glove on his right hand. Matoko uttered a small gasp; Jack's hand was all bone. In the center of his palm, a soft red glow emitted. "Fascinating, isn't it? This allows me to see inside my victims head and bring out what they truly fear the most. I wonder if you know what it is you truly fear, psychic?" He reached for the trembling Matoko. "Let's find out."

"No…" Matoko's voice was only a whisper as Jack's hand latched into her forehead. Her vision was suddenly filled in blood red light, and then plummeted into pitch darkness.

Suddenly, visions filled her head. She saw Mizore's face in the darkness. Matoko tried calling out, but Mizore only looked at her. Her expression was etched with a mixture of abhorrence and fear. Matoko called out for her again.

_Stay away from me!_ Mizore's voice echoed through the darkness. Matoko's stomach tied itself into a knot. _You're a freak! I can never trust you. Stay out of my mind!_ Mizore turned away, and her image disappeared. But her voice still echoed in the darkness.

Suddenly, Matoko was inside the main hallway in the academy. The first thing she registered was the screaming. Students all around her were shrieking in pain, falling to their knees. Some clutched their heads with both hands, eyes bloodshot. Some of their mouths began to froth. Everywhere Matoko looked, she couldn't see any cause for this mass torture. In fact, Matoko felt fine, aside from the rapidly growing anxiety gripping her heart at the scene. "What's happening?" she asked, but no one stopped their screaming to answer. "Tell me! What the hell is going on?"

"Matoko…!" Matoko turned around to see Mizore lying on the ground, cringing as if in unimaginable pain. "Your powers…they're digging into my mind. Please…make it stop!"

Matoko couldn't breathe. _I'm causing this?_ She looked around her again, unable to take it all in. _This…this is wrong. I can't be losing control. I feel fine. This isn't right!_ Matoko knelt next to Mizore, feeling tears fall from the panic. "Mizore, stay with me! Mizore!"

Mizore's body began to convulse violently, then she stopped. Her eyes grew big, staring straight at the psychic holding her. "Mat…ok…o…" Then she was still.

_What…is this nightmare? _Her powers were really raging inside her mental cage, bellowing slamming itself against the bears restraining it. Cracks began to appear.

The scene changed again. She saw Yokai Academy. Completely destroyed. Blood and unmoving bodies were strewn all across the grounds. Every single one of them was somehow staring at her with dead eyes. Matoko couldn't look away. It was like she had a camera's view of a sick massacre, and an unknown cameraman had total control.

_No…_

Then her vision shifted into an empty classroom, battle scarred. The room was dark, Matoko could barely see anything besides the silhouettes of splintered desks. _Looks like the classroom Ms. Jones and I use,_ she noted. But then she could hear voices. Her view turned toward the far wall. She recognized Jack and Lily standing not far from her, but they didn't seem to notice Matoko's presence in the darkness.

"Wasn't that fun, Jack?" Lily was saying, skipping around the room.

"I thought she would have put up more of a fight," Jack responded, his tone back into his cool, calculating tone.

As Matoko's vision adjusted to the darkness, she could make out another figure between Jack and Lily. It was leaning against the wall, unmoving. Something dark, like paint, covered the walls above the motionless silhouette.

_No…!_ Matoko tried to look away, to wake herself up from this horrifying nightmare. But she couldn't. She could only watch helplessly as the darkness was unveiled, and the face of the immobile figure became apparent.

_Don't let me see it! Stop it!_

Leaning against the wall was Mizore, her eyes staring blankly ahead. Her smeared blood shone a deep crimson on the wall around her.

"NOOO!" Matoko's mental cage shattered and an explosion of psychokinetic energy blasted the area.

* * *

><p>The psycho explosion caught Lily and Mizore completely off guard. Lily got knocked back several feet and landed in the grass, her diamond minions shattering into dust. Mizore was thrown off her feet and straight into the outer wall, knocking her head against the hard brick. She slumped to the ground, leaning on the wall. Her hair shifted to its natural azure color, and her ice claws dissolved into her normal hands.<p>

"Wow!" Lily stood up, shaking her head clear. "What on earth was THAT, Jack?"

"The girl had more kick than I thought," he growled, rubbing his bony wrist as if it hurt.

"Did you kill her?"

"No, she's just unconscious. Where is the target?"

"Hmm…Oh, there she is! Over by the wall!"

It was a huge effort for Mizore to even open her eyes. Her vision was still fuzzy, but she could see Lily pointing at her, and Jack walking toward her.

"Let's hurry up and finish this," Jack hissed, summoning another flaming pumpkin in his hand.

Mizore tried to move, but her body wouldn't respond. And Jack was getting closer. _I got to move!_ _No_w_!_ But no matter how much she willed her body to move, her limbs wouldn't respond. _Dammit! Move!_ With each exertion, she felt her mind was going more and more numb. _I need to…I…I'm…_

The corners of her vision began to blur and darken. _I'm….going to die._

Mizore felt something soft touch her hand. The second before everything went dark, she looked down at her hand and saw a black feather resting in her palm.

* * *

><p>A terrifying roar ripped through the air. Lily was the first to look up. "Oh wow! Is that a meteor?"<p>

The meteor in question was really a large ball of jet black flame, falling from the sky at a rapid speed. It crashed between the two monsters and the yuki-onna girl, making the ground beneath their feet shake. For several seconds, the meteor just sat there, black flames whipping around like tendrils. From somewhere inside the flames, two small yellow eyes opened, glaring menacingly at Jack and Lily.

Jack's eyes narrowed behind his mask. "That isn't one of ours."

With another roar, black limbs shot out of the ball, taking the form of a large beast. Its fur was that of liquid darkness, rippling and shifting like a fiery blaze. Below the yellow eyes, a mouth opened, revealing a full set of razor sharp teeth.

Lily's eyes lit up in astonishment. "Oooooooh!" she cooed, bouncing on her toes. "What a beautiful creature! I've never seen anything like it! Do you know what that is, Jack?"

"No," Jack grunted, unimpressed. "I'll take care of it." His hands began to ignite into flames for another attack.

"Don't you dare!" Lily pouted. "Don't kill it! I want to keep him as a-!"

The dark beast suddenly dissolved again into a levitating, dark cloud. Instead of attacking, it swung backward, engulfing the snow girl, before launching back into the air and out of sight.

"Huh? Was that it?" Lily asked, crestfallen. "Aww, but I wanted to make it mine!"

Jack looked toward the wall. "The girl is gone," he observed. "That thing must have taken her."

"You think she was eaten by it?" Lily asked with a ponderous smile.

"No…But she's of no importance to us now." Jack let out an ear piercing shriek, loud enough to travel through the entire academy grounds. "I've given the signal for the troops to retreat. Our job is done."

"O~kay." Lily casually walked over to where Matoko was lying, unconscious. "What about this one? Can I kill her too before we go?"

"Don't." Jack's gloved hand grabbed Lily's arm before she could touch the girl. "I have other plans for her. But for now, we'll let her live." His eyes turned toward Matoko, a ravenous look in his red eyes. "I'm expecting much _entertainment_ from her in the near future."

"Hmph! Fine!" Lily said pompously, snapping her arm away from his grip. "Why is it that you always get to have all the fun?"

"You don't have to worry," Jack assured. "I have a feeling we'll have much more fun with those two in the near future." Lily stuck out her tongue at him before they both instantly disappeared from the scarred grounds of Yokai Academy.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**_ So yeah, the battle on the academy is finally over. To tell you the truth, I think I made this bigger than it should have been. But it was good practice for writing battle scenes! Now we can move on! Well, until next time, ya'll take care!_

_-DJBunz_


	19. A Human Among Monsters

**Ch. 19- A Human Among Monsters**

Mizore found herself in ankle-deep snow. She was wearing her traditional white kimono with elegant sandals that she always wore back home. Tiny snowflakes danced in the breeze, occasionally sticking to her hair. The sky above was overcast with slate-gray clouds, dropping snow in light waves.

_I'm…home._

She looked around. Suddenly, she was in the middle of a village, surrounded by small buildings. It took only a second for her to recognize the structures were made of solid ice. There were everal people strolling around, and everyone one of them had the same azure hair and blue eyes as Mizore. Everywhere she turned, she saw little kids and adults alike greet her warmly, as if seeing her had just made their day. Mizore couldn't help naturally waving and smiling back.

As she walked across the village, she recognized several of the other villagers; there was Shinji who ran spent his time hiking around the mountains with his wife, Aoi, and their newborn daughter. Mizore passed by old man Takao, who was setting up his popular cold sweets shop, with a few patrons already waiting for him outside the door.

Before she knew it, Mizore had arrived at the edge of the village. Through a break in the crowd, she saw two figures moving about in the snow on the crest of a hill about a mile away. Inexplicably, Mizore covered the distance in two steps. She glanced back; sure enough, her village was now a small speck behind her.

She turned back toward the pair, who were both rolling in the snow and throwing snowballs at each other. Mizore's first thought was that they were not Yuki-onna. One had long, raven hair and wore a long, dark purple coat and gloves. The other one was short and wore so much clothing, Mizore almost mistook him for an inflated air bag, but there was no mistaking those ridiculously large glasses.

_Matoko!_ She called out, waving to them. _Hiro!_

They both stopped, noticing her presence, and their expressions brightened. Mizore ran up to them and joined in the fun. Each one of them was laughing heartily; they were having such a blast that Mizore didn't even question what they were doing there. There was simply no need to. It felt _right_ that her friends were all there with her. Together.

With something to the effect of a battle cry, Hiro launched a snowball in Mizore's direction. A full on snow fight quickly ensued, each combatant landing and taking hits. Mizore dodged her enemies' seemingly lazy throws. Even with a kimono on, she had no difficulty moving through the snow. This was her turf, after all.

She turned to lob a fastball at Hiro, but in the corner of her eye, she saw a snowball escaping Matoko's hand. A split second later, she felt a biting cold impact her face and her vision went white.

* * *

><p>Mizore awoke, still seeing the bland whiteness from the snowball. For several seconds, she thought she was still by the snowy hillside of her home. But the warm-fuzzy feeling was gone now, and was replaced with a confusing, partial awareness. It wasn't until she looked around that she realized she was lying down on a bed, facing the stark white ceiling. <em>Where am I now?<em>

"Doctor! She's awake!"

Glancing to her right, Mizore saw a familiar face, trying to wave at someone across the room.

"Ms. Nekonome?" she croaked, her throat feeling coarse.

The cat-teacher gave her an aloof smile. "Welcome back, dear!"

"Ah, good. You're awake." A slightly aging man, who Mizore recognized as Dr. Yuji, the primary doctor of Yokai Academy (and only doctor, as far as she knew), walked up to her bedside. With Ms. Nekonome's help, Mizore slowly sat up, still trying to distinguish whether or not this was the _real _reality. She felt sharp pain in her jaw, and realized she had a large gauze bandage tapped to her cheek. Ms. Nekonome offered her a glass of water, which Mizore chugged greedily.

"Am I still…dreaming?" she asked, her voice returning to her.

The doctor cocked slightly amused eyebrow. "No, you're not. Although, you have been unconscious for about an hour. No need to worry, the drowsiness will go away soon. So, Ms…" Dr. Yuji quickly glanced at his notepad. "Shirayuki, is it? How are you feeling?"

Mizore rubbed her forehead. "My head hurts."

Dr. Yuji nodded, sticking a thermometer in her mouth and wrapping a black cuff around her arm. "You hit your head pretty hard. You were suffering from a small concussion and a bruised jaw. There will be some residual pain, but that too will only last for a little while."

_Concussion?_ Mizore thought sluggishly. _When did I…? _Suddenly, her thoughts became clearer. "Matoko! Where is she? What happened to-"

"Easy," Ms. Nekonome meowed, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, which also kept her from jumping out of the bed. "Ms. Chouku is alright. But let's focus on one thing at a time, okay?"

Mizore kept silent while he continued his diagnostics, taking the time to think back on before she passed out.

She remembered fighting that Lily girl with her crystalline manikins. In the middle of the fight, she heard Matoko scream, and then a shockwave came out of nowhere, throwing her against the wall like a ragdoll_. Then both of them were coming at me for the kill…And then I blacked out. I should have died then. How am I still alive?_

Mizore surveyed the infirmary, looking for her psychic friend. From her viewpoint, she could see the faces of every patient. Rows of medical bunks were filled with injured students, some conscious and seemingly healthy, others not so much. Several teachers scuttled by each bedside, checking each of the patients. Mizore noticed a small group of them were crowding around one bed at the far side. She felt a pang of worry in her chest until one of the teachers stepped aside, allowing a clear view. _No, that's not her, _she thought with a sigh, mixed with relief and more worry. If _Matoko isn't even here, where is she?_

Mizore gave herself a glance over. Her uniform was still battle-worn, torn and blood stained in some places. But beneath, most of her cuts and bruises had already healed, leaving miniscule pink marks on her white skin. _One of the advantages of being a Yokai, I suppose. _She noted._ Quick healing._

"Blood pressure's normal," Dr. Yuji mused. "Temperature…" Removing the thermometer, which had turned into a frozen icicle, he glanced from it to Mizore and back. "Eh…Temperature is normal." He made a few marks on his paper. "Ms. Shirayuki, I would advise you keep that bandage on for about a day or two. If the pain doesn't go away by then or you find something else wrong, please come back." Turning to Ms. Nekonome, he said, "Other than that, she's free to go now." Mizore could have sworn she heard him mumble something along the lines of "hiring some legitimate nurses" before walking toward the bunk with the most teachers around it. Although she couldn't see the patient, Mizore could hear a pained moaning sound coming from that direction.

Once helped to her feet, Mizore asked, "Where is Matoko? May I see her?"

Ms. Nekonome's cat ears twitched, indicating hesitation. "Well…I don't suppose it'll do any harm. Though I really should be taking you back with the other students…"

"I'll be quick," Mizore promised. "I just want to be sure she's okay."

With a final nod, Ms. Nekonome escorted her out of the infirmary. The sounds of pained moans slowly faded as they walked away. "What happened after the battle?"

Ms. Nekonome's face turned slightly grave. "The academy is in a pretty bad shape. Half of the buildings are in shambles, and many of the students have been seriously injured."

Mizore gave her sensei a once over, noticing that she didn't look battle worn at all, not even a scratch. When asked about it, Ms. Nekonome gave a dotty grin, flexing her thin arms. "It'll take a lot to hurt me, dear." The snow fairy was tempted to ask whether or not she was joking, but decided against it. "On the bright side, I don't think we've gotten any fatalities!"

"Really?" Mizore asked, genuinely surprised. She had seen many of the students lying gravely injured all across the school during the raid. _And we didn't get a single death?_ "Do you have any idea on who was responsible?"

Ms. Nekonome shook her head. "Not that I know of. Yokai Academy is a symbol of peace and coexistence between humans and monsters. It isn't uncommon for monsters to disagree with the idea, although an attack is unprecedented." She stopped in front of a classroom door. "A~nd here we are!" The cat teacher opened the door a crack and peered inside, whispering a few words to someone. Turning to Mizore, she said "I'll be out here, dear. Please don't take too long," before opening it fully, allowing Mizore to step inside.

The ice girl had only taken a few steps into the room when a gasp escaped her lips.

The classroom was still completely intact, with the chairs and tables pushed to the far wall. In the center was Matoko, lying in a gurney, probably from the infirmary. Her eyes were closed, and her body was unmoving. Mizore's heart leaped up into her throat as she imagined the worst.

"She's not dead, Ms. Shirayuki." Mizore quickly glanced behind her to see a woman in a blazer suit leaning against the wall by the door. Her eyes watched the ice girl coolly behind thin rimmed glasses.

Mizore let out a breath, unaware that she had been holding it in. "Wait…How do you know my-"

"Let's just say that I'm quite similar to your friend there when it comes to special abilities." Standing straight, she approached Mizore with calculated steps. "You can call me Ms. Jones."

Memory of Matoko talking about her special lessons surfaced from the back of Mizore's mind. "Oh, right. I remember Matoko telling me about you." In actuality, everything Matoko had said about her lessons with this Ms. Jones were anything but positive, but Mizore didn't feel the need to say so.

"She did, did she?" Ms. Jones muttered in a voice barely louder than a whisper. Her laser like gaze suggested that she was already aware of what Matoko had said.

Stepping closer to the gurney, Mizore placed her hand on top of her friend's. "Matoko…" she whispered, wondering whether or not she could actually hear her. "She looks like she's sleeping."

"She is." Ms. Jones appeared on the other side of Matoko. "Evidently, her psychic powers went berserk during the battle. This is the best way for her to recuperate after such a trauma. It will take a little time for her to fully heal."

"Will she be alright? Why isn't she in the infirmary then?"

Ms. Jones folded her arms. "Obviously," she said steely, "because her most serious wounds are not physical, and therefore, cannot be treated by typical means. After all, she's not a _Yokai_ like the rest of you are."

Mizore clenched her jaw, sending a spike of pain through her skull, but she didn't pay it any mind. "And what do you mean by that, exactly?"

Ms. Jones laughed haughtily. "You should learn to cool down that temper of yours, little Yuki-onna. I simply meant that she does not possess your quick healing abilities that most of you monsters possess. She may have special abilities that few humans do, but in the end, she is still a _human being_. She was raised here in Yokai Academy because she had nowhere else to go."

"And what," Mizore snapped back, "you mean to say there's someplace better than here?"

Ms. Jones sneered. "Better than an academy that gets raided by its own kind?" Mizore was about to give a retort, but the instructor cut her off. "Now, I hate to cut this short, but your escort outside is growing anxious, and I must look after your _friend's_ recovery." She gestured toward the door. "By your leave, Ms. Shirayuki."

Every fiber in Mizore body felt like cutting this woman to ribbons, and she knew that Ms. Jones was aware of it. Mizore held her gaze for a few seconds, forcing herself to calm down, before turning back to the sleeping Matoko. Bending over so her voice wouldn't reach Ms. Jones' ears, she whispered, "Thanks for saving me back there, Matoko. Hurry up and get well soon, okay?" She turned to leave, not even acknowledging Ms. Jones' presence. On her way out of the room, Mizore tried to sense for any mental connection, as a sign that her best friend had heard her. Yet all she could sense was that woman's hard stare, a feeling that remained even after Mizore had left the room and walked down the hall.

* * *

><p>"Now let's get you some fresh clothes!" Ms. Nekonome said a few minutes later as the two approached the infirmary reception hall. At the double doors leading to the main hallway stood a teacher and a senior student, wearing the typical black coat. A few seats by the wall behind them were occupied by students, none of which Mizore recognized. Some of them had bandages wrapped around various body parts or bruises on their faces, but most of them seemed completely fine. On opposite sides were male and female restrooms. Ms. Nekonome walked briskly behind the front counter where she procured a fresh school uniform. "You can change in the restroom."<p>

In a matter of minutes, Mizore had changed into her new clothes, the entire time rolling around in her mind what happened in the classroom. She felt like she could sympathize completely with Matoko's dislike for that woman. _What does it matter if she's human?_ She thought. _Matoko belongs here. This is her home, no matter what that woman thinks. _Mizore crossly tossed her ruined clothes in a nearby trash bin, which was already overflowing with similarly discarded uniforms, before exiting the bathroom.

Ms. Nekonome gestured for her to take a seat in the reception hall with everyone else. The cat teacher exchanged a few words with the guards, and then called for the students' attention. She looked at her notepad and called off some names, each time a student stood and formed a line in front of Ms. Nekonome. Mizore stood at the end of the line since she was called last.

"Listen closely now," the cat-teacher said after roll call was finished, "I need all of you to follow me in a single file line. We will make our way toward the main gym, where all your fellow peers are waiting. Do not go anywhere else; we don't know whether or not our mysterious attackers are hiding somewhere."

As the group filed out of the infirmary and into a junction leading into the main hallway, Mizore felt her jaw drop a little at the sight, which made her cheek burn. The last time she was here, she had been separated from her classmates in all the chaos that ensued from the surprise attack. Now that there weren't any unconscious or injured people lying around, the extent of the damage could be fully seen as they walked briskly through the ruins. Stairwells were demolished, pieces of the seeing had caved in, and the occasional crater dotted the floor. _A bit ironic,_ Mizore thought, _that this once bustling academy teaching peace and co-existence with humans was attacked by monsters_. There were teachers around every corner, signaling the next sentinel that the group was walking by.

It wasn't long after when they arrived at the gymnasium entrance, a set of double doors, flanked by two shadowy figures in black robes. Ms. Nekonome quickly approached them, exchanged a few words, before the two guards pushed open the doors, allowing everyone passage. Just before Mizore stepped forward, she felt Ms. Nekonome's hand gently grasp her arm, a caring smile on her face.

"I wouldn't worry too much about Ms. Chouku," she said empathetically. "I'm sure she'll be just fine. Just keep your chin up, and you'll see her soon enough, I'm sure of it!"

Mizore nodded, giving her a small smile in return for her concern. "Thanks, Ms. Nekonome."

The gym was packed with students, most of whom were sitting and chatting on the bleachers, while a few others were scattered here and there. Faculty members, as well as a few more of the guards in black, lined the walls, their heads and eyes scanning the multitude of students, as if there was an enemy among them. The thought sent a proverbial chill down the ice-girl's spine. While she couldn't sense any dark intent coming from anyone, the vast number of people in one place was throwing her senses off. Normally, Mizore wouldn't have to worry about such a thing. _Well, this definitely isn't normal._

Only a moment had passed since the doors opened when there were raised voices and a multitude of the students came rushing to the new-comers. Mizore heard names being called out, along with friends and classmates high-fiving and hugging each other, laughing and crying in relief that their friends were okay. Mizore felt a pang of loneliness in her heart. _Matoko should be here,_ she thought, and then chided herself for thinking that way. _She's still alive, and will be out and about soon enough. Things could have been worse. Far worse._

The crowd around the entrance was quickly getting packed, with the gym kids flanking the new arrivals, with a few of the faculty trying to push them away from the entrance. Mizore snuck and stepped smoothly through and between bodies, trying to find a more open spot to get away from the increasing mass of students.

"Thank God, you made it!"

"You think I'd be done in by those creeps?"

"I was so worried about you!"

"I don't know about you, but fighting them was kind of exciting, you know?"

"Hey, isn't that blue-haired girl from before?"

That's when Mizore noticed that several of the students were casting odd glances at her, as if she were an alien.

"You mean the one who appeared right outside the doors?"

"That's definitely her. The one who appeared in that shadowy cloud."

"She did _what_?"

"Yeah, it was weird. This cloud came down from the sky, and then she appeared, unconscious."

"That _is_ weird."

"What's up with that?"

"Mizore!"

From amongst the crowd, a short bespectacled kid squirmed out and ran to her.

"Hiro!"

His face was alit with a mixture of happiness and anxiety. "You're okay! I'm so glad." He stopped when he noticed the bandage on her face. "What happened to you? Are you really okay?"

"Relax, Hiro, I'm fine," Mizore said. "Really, don't worry about me." She opened her arms, to try to show that she really was okay.

But Hiro's eyes continued to portray considerable concern. "I was so worried about you. I mean, you just appeared out of nowhere outside the gym and the teachers escorted you out so quickly and-"

"What?" Mizore interrupted, holding up a hand. The other students were still giving her weird glances. Grabbing his arm, Mizore pulled him into an empty space between the bleacher stands and the wall. "Okay, now tell me: What are you talking about?"

"You don't remember?" Hiro asked, incredulous. He pointed toward the double doors across the other side of the gym. "I was near the other end around the time the battle was over. There were students coming in, then all of a sudden, there were these screams coming from outside. I could barely see it, but there was a giant dark cloud falling from the sky. I thought it was a meteor or something! But it stopped and hovered over the ground in front of the doors. Those guys in black were about to attack it, but then it flew off again. But when it left, you were suddenly lying there, unconscious!"

Some teachers approached the crowd, impatiently instructing them to move to the bleachers. As they moved, more people took notice of Mizore, sending more uneasy and curious glances her way. Only now did she understand why. Did that really happen? I don't remember it at all. "Then what happened?"

"Well, the guys in black walked up to you, then urgently called for a stretcher. After that, you were moved to the infirmary." Hiro's voice was a mix of concern and amazement. "The weird thing was, when the dark cloud disappeared, you were covered in these."

Hiro reached into his pocket and pulled out a rather worn-out looking black feather. He noticed the Yuki-onna's expression shift to apparent shock at the sight of it. "W-whoa, hey, Mizore? Are you okay?" Hiro asked.

Her racing thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice sounding from the loudspeakers throughout the gym. "Students of Yokai Academy, if I may have your attention."

At the center of the gym, Ryuu stood with a microphone stand in front of him. Mizore's chest swelled at the sight of him. Of all the people she had seen after the attack, he seemed to be on his prime today. It was almost as if he seemed to shine in the midst of all of the day's chaos. Most of the other students were gazing at him with starry eyes, as if he was a renewed hope from such a disaster.

Behind him, a man in a white habit stood of to the side, his hands behind his back. His face was concealed by a large hood, and despite the adequate lighting in the gymnasium, his face was completely shrouded in shadow. Around his neck hung a small little cross-shaped trinket.

When the gym had gone silent, Ryuu began to speak. "This is your Student Body President, Ryuu Arashito, speaking. First off, I would like to thank you all for your cooperation during this terrible event. Let us especially thank the quick and timely responses of our faculty," he gestured to the teachers standing by the walls as he lead the students in a round of applause, "and the Headmaster's personal guard." He then gestured to the various figures in black robes, which showed no reaction to the applause. "It was all because of them _and_ the cooperation of the students that things did not go even more so out of hand. I am also very happy to say that we did not suffer any fatalities on our side." The entire gym went ablaze with cheers. It took a few seconds for Ryuu to get back their attention.

"As far as we know Yokai Academy has been attacked by a large unknown force. We did not receive any advance notice or threat preceding the attack; so naturally, we were caught completely off guard.

"I believe that the intent behind the attack was to spread uncertainty and fear among the students. Why? Because Yokai Academy is not just a school meant to educate us monsters on how to interact with the human world, but it also acts as a symbol of peace and friendship with the humans."

There were some scoffs and snorts from within the audience, which ended up with several people angrily shouting at them. "Enough!" Ryuu said forcefully, and the gym instantly went silent. "Do not be angry with them; it is perfectly natural for monsters and humans alike to believe to believe such co-existence is futile. I believe that we are all here because, ultimately, we believe that this vision is achievable." The crowd began to get restless, cheering and clapping.

"Our real enemies are the ones out there, plotting to shatter that vision. Are we really so meager to give in to these cowards?" At his point, his voice and hand gestures turned charismatic. "I for one will not give in to these terrorists' demands, because I think this academy's vision is worth fighting for! And I truly believe that every single one of you share my conviction, am I right?"

This caused the entire gym to erupt. People stood up from their chairs, rooting and hollering. The noise was defining, and Ryuu had to switch the microphone off so as to prevent feedback from the speakers. This went on for a few minutes more until Ryuu finally calmed them all down. After turning the mike back on, he smiled and said, "That's what I like to hear.

"One last thing. I swear to you now, in front of all my seniors, peers, and lower classmen, that the tragic events that have transpired here today will never be repeated. So help me, I will utilize all my power and influence to serve and protect our fair academy and its residents from any possible future attack. That is a solemn promise from me to you all, and I intend to keep that promise.

"Now, I will now turn the mike over to the Headmaster, who will share a few words. Thank you for your time."

Ryuu bowed slightly to the audience. The entire student body applauded and cheered vigorously as Ryuu stepped aside from the microphone. Mizore couldn't help stand up and cheer along with everyone else.

The Headmaster stepped forward, but completely disregarded the microphone. His mere presence quieted the entire gym within seconds. "Please hold your applauses until later." When he spoke, his voice didn't echo from the speakers, but instead seem to carry through the entire audience as if he were speaking to each of them directly. And his tone carried no charisma or good feeling in it, either. "Due to the extensive damage done to the academy grounds, this school is no longer serviceable to our academy's needs. Therefore, all classes and activities are hereby disbanded and discontinued."

Several gasps echoed through the audience. The feeling of unity and conviction quickly faded. Even from a distance, Mizore could have sworn she saw the headmaster's mouth curl into a sly grin, as if he found the entire situation a sick joke. Behind the Headmaster, Ryuu's bright confidence now seemed slightly dimmed.

"I need all available staff members to organize the students by their homeroom and escort them to their dormitories. At that time, students, you are to pack all of your belongings and possessions. The bus will arrive in three hours' time to begin shuttling everyone to their respective homes.

"If the Academy is reopened, to return here and continue your education is entirely up to you. As of tomorrow morning, Yokai Academy will be closed until further notice. That is all."

The Headmaster walked a few steps toward the gym exit when he paused, then turned his luminous gaze back to the bleachers. "If you wish to applaud, now would be a good time to do it." With that, he continued walking until he disappeared behind the double doors.

The gymnasium stayed silent.

* * *

><p><em>A~nd…finished<em>, thought Ms. Jones with genuine satisfaction. She gave a final look at the barrier she had just placed, making sure her handiwork contained no holes or weak spots. Retracting her mind, she opened her eyes back in the physical world. She felt drained of energy, and her own mind was demanding a respite. It had been demanding enough to place the seal inside the Matoko child's already volatile mind.

What made matters worse was that damned snow girl (Shirayuki, wasn't it?) waltzing in. Ms. Jones had to use her own powers to act as a wall between the two school girls, keeping Matoko's mind under guard the entire time Shirayuki was in. It was an easy trick, but even so, their little spat didn't help, either. If, by some unfortunate circumstance, Matoko had awakened from her artificial slumber and managed to sense Shirayuki's mental signature, it very well could have triggered her mind into another frenzy before Ms. Jones could finish emplacing the barrier.

Another meltdown, another mess. And losing such an interesting pupil in such a manner would mostly likely ruin Ms. Jones' day.

Yes, the girl was very interesting. Thinking back, Ms. Jones didn't think she ever found such a powerful candidate. Indeed, the scope of her power was immense _now_, and that was just the tip of the iceberg. Matoko had no formal training, but Ms. Jones didn't doubt for a second that once properly trained, once her terrible power could be honed and controlled, the Matoko girl could very well be one of the most powerful psychics in modern history. She deserved better than here. She was a piece of hay in a needle stack. A human among monsters.

After a quick break, the psychic got back to work. Closing her eyes and opening her mental one in turn, she slipped herself through the barrier she just created and entered the pitch darkness that was the Matoko's sub consciousness. This darkness, Ms. Jones, was usually an indicator that the person in question was either in a deep coma or dead. But she knew better. She knew that Matoko was still there somewhere.

_Matoko,_ she called out mentally, hearing her voice echo in the darkness. _Can you hear me?_

At first, she sensed nothing. Then…a small light began to flicker.

_Ms. Jones?_ Matoko's voice, barely above a whisper, reverberated back to her. She sounded like she had just woken up.

_Yes, it is me, _Ms. Jones answered, keeping an eye out for her surroundings.

_What happened…?_ Matoko asked. The light began to grow stronger as her brain began to become more self-aware. At the same time, Ms. Jones felt a stirring of something else in the darkness of Matoko's subconscious. Something very powerful was also awakening. She could feel the waves reach out towards the barrier and softly crash against it. The barrier did not budge.

Ms. Jones returned her attention to the growing light._ Hush, child,_ she whispered, like a mother to an infant. She also extended her powers to keep Matoko's mind in control. _All is well. You may wake in just a little while. For now, just sleep soundly._

Ms. Jones continued to repress Matoko's mind, until she was certain that she, along with her powers, were in deep sleep once again. Once this was done, she opened her physical eyes, looking at the sleeping raven haired girl before her. Ms. Jones knew one thing; Yokai Academy was not the place for a ticking time bomb. "Forgive me, my dear," Ms. Jones said aloud, with no trace of empathy, "but your time here at this academy is over."

* * *

><p><strong>AN :** _Happy 1 year anniversary!_


	20. Troubled Heart

_**Ch. 20- Troubled Heart**_

After the Headmaster's speech, an instructor announced that all students were going to be escorted to their respective dormitories. Once there, they were to pack all personal belongings and stay in their rooms until the bus arrived in the next few hours to take them all back to their respective homes. The instructor firmly stressed the importance that at no time were any students allowed to walk around the campus without a faculty escort. "While the faculty understands that you have friends currently in the infirmary, our top priority is getting you all back home safe and sound." With that, he moved on to the order in which the students were to be moved to their housing facilities.

The freshmen were to be moved to the dorms first, with the students separated into their separate homeroom classes. Mizore and Hiro heard Ms. Nekonome calling for her class, and moved to join her as she called roll. The cat teacher faltered after calling "Chouku, Matoko!", obviously forgetting that the young psychic was still in the hospital ward. With a quick apologetic glance at Mizore, she continued on with the attendance.

Hiro gently poked Mizore's arm and whispered, "I almost forgot. Where is Matoko? Have you seen her?"

Without looking at Hiro, she replied, "She's in the infirmary. I saw her there before I checked out."

"That's good." Hiro gave a sigh of relief. "I hope she's okay."

An image of Matoko in a coma in the dark, secluded room surfaced in Mizore's mind. "Yeah," she muttered, "she'll be fine." She said it more to herself than to Hiro, in a vain attempt to reassure herself.

Once roll call was completed, Ms. Nekonome marched her students out of the gymnasium. Mizore autonomously followed, her thoughts reeling so fast it threatened to overload.

_I doubt Matoko would be moved when she's unconscious._ _What if she didn't wake up before the bus takes me away from Yokai Academy?_ Mizore felt as if her heart was being squeezed by an invisible hand. _What would she do if the school closed down for good? What were the chances that we'd see each other again?_ The answer did not help her growing doubts.

_When that tall masked monster and the magic mirror-holding girl attacked us behind the school, they said they had come for me. But Matoko had stayed by my side, despite the odds and her lack of strength. And now, my best friend is lying comatose in the infirmary. Because I failed to protect her._

Whenever Mizore was depressed, the psychic was always there to try and cheer her up. After the confession to Ryuu went horribly wrong, she was there to help her. While Mizore didn't have siblings, she figured this was what having an older sister was like. Matoko was always there for her, willing to defend her, even when she held little strength of her own. Why hadn't Mizore ever considered this before? They saw each other nearly every day, yet she had never stopped to say thanks, to show how much the snow fairy really appreciated her as a friend. _Will I ever have the chance again?_

Mizore's hands balled into hands, anger and sadness flowing through her. This motion was noticed by Hiro. Although her face did not show it, Hiro could tell that she was something was upsetting her. _Is she thinking about Matoko? _He thought about asking Mizore directly, but stopped himself, recalling something Matoko had said to him yesterday at the shopping district.

"One thing you need to know about girls is that there are some problems that we must face alone. If Mizore needs someone to talk to, it's our job as her friends to be there for her, right?"

Her words wandered in Hiro's mind. _Is this what you meant, Matoko?_ Hiro thought, crestfallen. _Is this…what it means to have friends? Am I supposed to simply sit back and watch?_

* * *

><p>The afternoon held the sun center sky when Mizore reached room 106 in the girl's dormitory. Despite the short walk to the dorms, her constant mental struggle with herself left her exhausted. All she wanted to do was curl up and sleep, but she couldn't. There was still something she had to do.<p>

_I have to find Yusuke before the bus arrives, _Mizore thought, unlocking the door._ Though…how am I going to approach him, especially after the fallout we had last time?_

The lights were off, but the room illuminated as Mizore opened the door.

"You are no longer welcome here," he had said, "in the cave or the flower field. If you do come back, I will treat you like any other trespasser."

The words bounced around in her head, like sirens warning her to stay away. _No,_ she thought determinedly, _I have to find him. Though, how am I going to reach the flower field without getting caught be teachers?_

With a dreary sigh, Mizore moved to shut the door, only for it to stop halfway, as if something was stopping it. Confused, she looked and found nothing blocking the doorway.

A voice sounded as if from thin air. "Hang on a second. Shadow's doing her business outside."

Mizore jumped back before recognizing the voice. "What-"

"Quiet!" Yusuke's disembodied voice said. "Don't want to scare the neighbors. Ah, here she is." The door opened itself wider, and out of nowhere, a sudden pressure impacted Mizore stomach, sending her falling backwards. The door closed, and suddenly Yusuke and Shadow appeared, the latter pinning her to the ground and licking her face affectionately.

Yusuke whistled. Immediately, Shadow retreated back to her master's feet, but stared playfully at Mizore, who was still trying to catch her breath from the pounce.

"What are you doing here?" Mizore asked incredulously, standing back up unsteadily. This was the first time she had ever seen Yusuke outside the flower field. And while this did save her the trouble of having to sneak out to see him, barging into her room wasn't how she had envisioned their meeting.

"Remember when I scared away that girl who followed you about a month ago?" Yusuke asked, dropping the bag on Mizore's bed. He reached inside and pulled a sucker out. "I can manipulate light and sound so as to appear invisible and hide any sound I make." He sighed wearily. "It doesn't work while flying with Shadow, unfortunately. Otherwise, we could have avoided making a scene in front of your peers."

_So that was him, after all,_ Mizore confirmed. "But you ended our agreement," she said tersely. "It was you who told me to stay away. And yet, here you are. Why?"

"I'll get straight to the point," Yusuke said, wanting to get this next part done and over with. "You had found me in a near-death state. I was delusional, and said things I shouldn't have. Even so, I realize that that is no excuse. I was not myself, and I'm sorry."

The two watched each other for several awkward seconds. "Well," she asked, "Why did you rescue me? How did you even know where I was?"

"When first saw the battle starting, I left to survey what was going on. I sensed a rather large blast of energy, and found you near it, two yokai who seemed ready to deliver the deathblow on you. When I stepped in, you were unconscious. I had to drop you off so you could receive medical treatment."

Mizore remembered the two frighteningly powerful monsters approaching her as she laid there helpless, ready to finish their job. Ms. Nekonome had told her that no one had died during the battle. The snow girl knew without a doubt that she would have died if Yusuke hadn't intervened. Her chest tightened as she looked down at her feet. "Thank you."

Yusuke grunted; a sign that meant that that particular conversation was finished.

She sat on the edge of her bed, her hand unconsciously reaching for the bag of suckers. After the day's terrible events, her rekindled relationship with Yusuke was a welcome relief.

For the next several minutes, Mizore recounted the events of the attack as Yusuke listened intently. As she reached the part when the two monsters appeared at the corner of the campus, Yusuke asked, "So the black haired girl who was with you was the Matoko girl you told me about before?"

"Yeah." Mizore didn't elaborate, not wanting to think about her best friend's current condition again. "When Matoko and I first ran into them, they said…they said that they were sent to kill me."

"Sent?" Yusuke repeated, tilting his head. "Are you saying the entire attack was just to get you?"

"I'm not sure," Mizore replied honestly, but this new insight troubled her deeply.

Yusuke pondered silently for a moment. "I would suggest you not trouble yourself with it. While that is a possibility, I find it highly unlikely.

_Too late._ Mizore felt her stomach tie itself into a knot. Yusuke's observations had confirmed even more on the possibility that someone ordered her death. "What if it were true? That all this was just to get to me?"

"Don't get too far ahead of yourself," Yusuke said patiently. "Let's imagine that you really were their ultimate objective. Why the mass attack? What purpose would that serve? Just one of those two monsters could have gotten the job done without much of a scene."

While her pride suffered the blow, Mizore kept her tongue in check. "I don't know, perhaps a decoy for security?"

"Seems rather over-the-top just for a simple assassination job," Yusuke commented.

Frustration quickly built up within Mizore, fueled by his apparent lack of concern or interest on what was obviously life-and-death. When she spoke, she failed to keep her anger from slipping. "Then what do you think happened, Yusuke? You tell me! In fact," she stood up, her body raging in anger. "Why _did_ you save me, huh? Answer me that. If you really didn't care, you could have left me out to die. But you came out of your little field of flowers, and saved me. Why _did_ I need saving? Why are there people out there who want me dead?!"

She searched in his eyes for any signs or indications of the truth, but Yusuke's eyes revealed no answer.

With an angry shout, she jumped up and grabbed hold of the young man's shirt. "Tell me, damn it! Out of everyone in Yokai Academy, why was I, a simple fifteen year old yuki-onna in high school, targeted?! It doesn't make any sense! I saw what they did. They rampaged all over the place, didn't care who they struck down. It looked like a warzone out there! Innocent people!"

She felt her heart sink into a pit of guilt, and Mizore felt her throat tighten. "All this destruction and pain, all those people hurt, my classmates, my friends, just to get to me…" Her eyes began to sting, and tears had begun flowing down her cheeks. She buried herself into Yusuke's chest. "Why…please, tell me…why…"

Yusuke looked down at the trembling Mizore. He silently sighed, gently wrapped his arms around her. "I saved you because I believed you were worth saving. But I don't know why this all happened. I'm sorry. I just don't know." The whole scene sparked a memory of several years ago, another young girl, suffering emotional turmoil, seeking comfort and reassurance from him. _Déjà vu._

Yusuke guided Mizore to the bed, but she still clung to him tightly. "It's not your fault. I highly doubt all of this was just to get you. Yokai Academy must have been the target. Maybe they were trying to scare you, or someone's got a grudge against snow fairies. I don't know. But what happened today was not your fault. "

Yusuke dropped to his knees and gently grabbed Mizore's shoulders. "Look at me. Whatever the cause of the attack was, the meaning remains the same. You_ cannot_ stay in Yokai Academy. It is not safe. Leave this place. Return to your home, and never come back. You'll be safe there. Otherwise, whoever wanted you dead will try again. Understand?"

"I thought you said it was unlikely that they came specifically to kill me."

"The whole assault just for you? Unlikely." Yusuke pointed out grimly. "Chances of those two monsters returning just to kill you? Better chance. Best not to risk it."

"But," Mizore said, a new fear growing in her, "what if they track me to my village? I'll be putting my own people in danger!"

Yusuke shook his head. "That's not possible. Your village is protected by a powerful veil from any outsiders. The only way to get in is if one of the Snow People grants them passage."

Mizore gave him a questioning look. "How did you know about the barrier?"

"Angels have been escorting the dead since the beginning of time," Yusuke answered dismissively. "The spirits of the deceased let us in, so we may take them somewhere to be at peace. The point is, the Snow Village is definitely safer than here; probably the safest."

She nodded while wiping her eyes with her sleeves. Her thoughts trailed to Matoko, Hiro, Ryuu, Ms. Nekonome, and everyone else at the academy. If what Yusuke said was true, Mizore could be placing them all in danger again if the attackers returned. The knot in her stomach began to twist again. She definitely couldn't live with that on her conscious, whether it was likely to happen or not.

"But what about you?" Mizore asked. "Are you planning on leaving too?"

Yusuke gave her an _Are You Serious?_ look. "My home is here. I'm staying, even if that small army tries to take it. And if all else fails, I can turn invisible, remember? Slipping away wouldn't be hard." Yusuke gestured to the bag of suckers. "Take these with you. You left those in the cave a few weeks ago. They're the only things I can think of that calm you down."

He opened the window and peeked outside. Once sure that the area was clear, he whistled. Stepping down from the bed, Shadow gave one last whine, looking up at Mizore, before tromping half-heartedly to her master's side. Yusuke said, "This will be the last we see each other. To be honest, it was fun, while it lasted."

"You're leaving?"

"I've said what I came here to say," Yusuke answered simply, unfolding his black wings. He took a step onto the window ledge, about to jump.

"Wait!" Unconsciously, Mizore reached out and grabbed Yusuke's hand, pulling him back.

"Whoa, hey!" Yusuke staggered back into the room. Before he could pull away, Mizore's arms were around him, clutching him tightly. Both were shocked by her impulsiveness. Yusuke's arms awkwardly hung in the air, unsure of what to do. Mizore buried her face in his chest, hiding her embarrassment. Shadow remained sitting by the window, watching both of them with her tail wagging.

Mizore felt the words tumbling out. "Thank you for saving my life, and… for everything. I owe you so much, and I know I probably won't ever be able to repay you for everything you've done for me, but…I…"

Yusuke let his arms drop, tentatively bringing them down around Mizore. "You're a real handful sometimes, you know that?" He felt Mizore shake slightly as she chuckled, his chest pounding so hard he was sure she could hear it. Despite himself, he gently pulled Mizore closer, brushing his hand against her cool, amethyst hair. _What is this I'm feeling?_ he thought with wonder. While his mind furiously willed him to step away, an emotion he had not felt in so long began to emerge from his heart, willing him to stay.

He held onto her for a moment longer before gently pushing her away, not looking back as he moved back toward the window. _You've stayed long enough,_ he cursed himself. Over his shoulder, he said, "Goodbye, Shiray-"

"Mizore," the ice girl cut in. Despite himself, Yusuke looked back. Mizore was smiling now, despite her tear streaked cheeks. "At least once…"

He met her deep azure eyes, feeling his chest lurch. Yusuke forced himself to look away, sighing wearily. "Very well, then. Good-bye, Mizore. I wish you luck." Both he and Shadow bounded out of the window and, shifting into their dark cloud form, took flight over the canopies of dead trees.

The cool wind brushing Yusuke's face was like a bucket of cold water, washing away the heated emotions he had felt just a moment before. Once in sight of the cliff, he folded his wings in and banked until he was facing the opening of his cave. He slowed his decent, bringing himself down on the outer lip of cave. The dark cloud dissipated, and his feet landed softly on the dirt floor, with Shadow appearing by his side.

His feet moved autonomously toward the left of the cave, were the tiny alcove was hidden. Reaching inside, Yusuke pulled out the small jewelry box and took out golden necklace inside. The metal felt cold on his hand. He stared at object intently, forcing himself to remember how it had come to his possession. He felt his chest tighten with pain as the memories came back to him.

After a minute, he carefully placed the necklace back into its case and slid it back into the hole in the wall. The warm feeling he had felt in Mizore's room was gone now, replaced with renewed pain and anguish. He numbly walked to his weathered bed and warily sat on it. "Remember what happened last time," he berated himself. "Remember why you were cursed in the first place." He felt his voice crack. "Remember Izumi."

Shadow crept up to her master, giving a small whine out of concern. Yusuke put his head in his hands. "Damn it," he mumbled.

In the dorm room, Mizore walked toward the window and looked out, but they were gone. After a moment, she wobbled toward her bed and collapsed on it, burying her face in a pillow. Mizore closed her eyes, her heart still racing. She knew he could no longer hear her, but still she whispered, "Good-bye, Yusuke." The feeling she felt when she embraced him lingered, like a memory about to be forgotten. Fresh tears trickled down her cheeks and onto her pillow. _First Matoko, now Yusuke. Why am I losing everyone I care about?_

* * *

><p>The room was silent, apart from Ms. Jones' heels that rhythmically struck the ground in impatience. As soon as she had placed Matoko back into a stable sleeping condition, she had contacted the Headmaster, requesting an immediate means of transportation. Every minute she waited, her desire to leave this blasted school grew. She had never wanted to come here in the first place. Yokai Academy was place for exactly that: <em>Yokai. Monsters.<em> Certainly no place for a human.

When she was first contacted by the Director of the Psychic School months ago, Ms. Jones had jumped at the chance to go scout her out. It wasn't until she was told where the girl was currently residing that the instructor hesitated. Ms. Jones hoped that she would be able to take the promising pupil back to her school, where she could be raised and trained right and proper. What she didn't expect was the girl, Matoko, had proven less sympathetic of her plans, and actually proved to be a thorn in Ms. Jones' side. Arrogant, impulsive, and unstable. The experienced psychic had shaken her head in dismay numerous times over this. _This would never have happened if the girl were found before she was brought to this poor excuse of an academy._

And, as she knew it would, no matter how many times Ms. Jones tried -and she really did try- to assess the girl, Matoko simply had did not have the strength to control her powers. This fact alone amazed her as to how Matoko had survived this long without going mad.

Ms. Jones had asked many times for the Director of the Psychic School to request they move to the United States, where the institution was located, for proper training and evaluation. To talk to the Headmaster and persuade him to let her be with her own kind. But each time, to Ms. Jones frustration, the Director reminded her that she was there simply to contain her power and determine if the Chouku girl was capable of living independently. _Independence, _Ms. Jones scoffed. _It's like placing a hungry lion in a room with gazelles and hoping they'll get along._

But with this recent attack and Matoko's coma-like state, Ms. Jones had finally been granted her wish. The Director had realized the severity of the problem, and the Headmaster could no longer refuse to keep the girl any longer. Ms. Jones only fear was that her superiors weren't too late in realizing their folly.

_Yokai Academy, an institution teaching of peace and coexistence of humans, had been attacked by other monsters._ Ms. Jones laughed to herself. _The irony of it all was disgustingly appropriate._

On a whim, she sensed the hallway for the Headmaster, and was delighted when she really did sense him walking toward the room. A moment later, the door slid open, and a robed figure stepped inside.

"Headmaster," Ms. Jones stopped her pacing, composed herself, and inclined her head respectfully. "Might I inquire on the status of transportation for myself and Ms. Chouku?"

"No need to worry," the Headmaster said, his glowing eyes set on the sleeping student on the gurney as he walked in. "The bus driver will arrive soon, and you two will be on your way." He paused. "How is she?"

"Sleeping like a newborn," Ms. Jones answered dismissively.

The Headmaster paused for a moment. "Would she be stable enough if she were awake?"

"I placed a series of barriers around the girl's mind. Matoko is, in simpler terms, locked away in sleep, to which I can wake her at any time of my choosing."

"Oh?" the Headmaster said, his glowing eyes showing interest. "Is she really _that _unstable?"

_Nice of you to get with the program,_ she thought scornfully. "From what I can distinguish, Headmaster," the experienced psychic continued, "her power went berserk after experiencing a great emotional eruption. Keeping the girl asleep is simply a precaution, to keep any external stimuli from triggering another occurrence."

The Headmaster nodded and walked toward the window. He stood there, with his hands clasped behind his back, overlooking the decimated campus. Ms. Jones watched him before continuing. "Headmaster, she requires is immediate recovery. Ms. Chouku is a danger to herself and those around her. It is only a matter of time before her mind collapses, possibly for good. If that were to happen here," she paused dramatically, "I doubt there'll be a single _sane_ yokai left. How long do you plan to risk such a tragedy befalling your academy?"

"Is this not why you were sent here in the first place?" The Headmaster turned toward her enough so she could see him grinning beneath his hood. "Last I checked, your purpose was to give instruction and control over this little problem."

Ms. Jones clenched her jaw, a pang of irritation surfacing. She was not accustomed to having her methods questioned, with the exception of the Director back home. She tried keeping her expression calm and her tone level. "And by taking her away from here, I will be fulfilling that purpose. I hate to admit it, but Matoko's case is much more difficult to manage than I originally thought. What she requires is more advanced treatment. One can only do so much, even someone like me, who's been doing this job for years." Her voice became more authoritative. "Matoko should be with her own kind."

What happened next took Ms. Jones by surprise. In a split second, the Headmaster's silent and calm demeanor vanished. Though he said and did nothing, the psychic sensed a maelstrom of emotions emanating from the robed figure, overloading the psychic's senses. In the next second, the storm receded just as quickly as it came; replaced by the Headmaster's usual nonchalant demeanor. Ms. Jones instinctively stepped away from him, fear coursing through her after such a sudden blast of power.

The Headmaster turned slightly "Perhaps you are right, Ms. Jones," the Headmaster said finally, his sly smile showing from beneath his hood. "I apologize for that little outburst. Sometimes I just feel like…"

Ms. Jones steadied her breathing, realizing she had broken into a sweat. For several moments, she studied the robed man, unsure if she should continue after such a display. "Headmaster, if I may make an inquiry?"

"Yes?"

The psychic chose her words very carefully. "I understand that Yokai Academy has been Chouku's home for several years, but we both know she's human. Don't you think she should be with her own kind? Why do you seem so reluctant to send Chouku stateside?"

The Headmaster didn't answer, and for a moment, Ms. Jones was afraid he was going to explode again. Finally he answered, in a voice barely above a whisper, "Matoko Chouku is simply one of my students."

Before Ms. Jones can say more, he looked toward the door, as if sensing something. "The bus driver has arrived. Come."

The Headmaster walked out of the door, leaving an astonished Ms. Jones alone in the room with Matoko. Ms. Jones hastily checked Matoko's barriers, but found that they were completely unaffected by the Headmaster's outburst. _If any future psychic shows up,_ she thought crossly as she began pushing the gurney out of the room, _the Director can send someone else. To hell with this place._


	21. Split Paths

_**Ch. 21- Split Paths**_

The Hidden Snow Village was the only place on earth Mizore had ever known about. The Snow People were more or less preferred isolation, with only faint rumors and tales of other species, human or otherwise. Despite them being secretive in nature, it wasn't uncommon or discouraged for her people to interact with humans. There had been several periods in their history when an inter-species union took place. In fact, Mizore had her first encounter when she was only eight years old.

It was primarily the reason she had left for Yokai Academy in the first place. And now, she was being forced into going back.

At one point in time, going home was something Mizore used to look forward to. Actually, it was the majority of the time. During the first month or two of enrolling in Yokai Academy. Now, however, she wasn't so sure that's what she wanted. Ironically, it was the brutal assault, ending in a bloody standstill, which was making her reconsider it all.

Mizore rolled over in the bed, staring at the ceiling. She had barely moved since Yusuke's departure. _This is what you wanted, isn't it? You hated it here, you wanted to go back home._

She expected to feel elated at a time like this. After all, her experience in Yokai Academy had been a nightmare from the start. She had been a fool to think escaping from the village would help her. In retrospect, coming to a school of monsters gathered together seemed completely unthinkable. Why try living with humans when yokai couldn't even coexist with themselves?

There was a soft rapping sound coming from her door. Outside was a staff member, giving a reminder that the bus was to arrive in thirty minutes. Closing the door, Mizore glanced around the room. With Yusuke's unexpected arrival and the fallout that followed, she hadn't packed anything. It didn't worry her; she didn't have many possessions to begin with. Within fifteen minutes her room was barren as the day she had first arrived, with her single bag slung over her shoulder.

The time had come when the campus-wide intercom announced the bus' arrival. Stepping out into the outdoor hallway, Mizore blended in with the ensuing crowd as they shuffled out of the dormitories. She couldn't help but see it as leaving their home away from home. _This was never your home to begin with_, she reminded herself coldly.

By the time the student body had congregated by the front gate, the sun had begun to descend to late evening. Grey clouds blocked out most of the sunlight. Mizore briefly recalled Ms. Nekonome that the weather was magically controlled here, so as to accommodate the various living conditions required by the various species of yokai. Rumors among the students were that there was a mysterious entity that controlled the rain, clouds, and even the sun within Yokai Academy's barrier. Mizore now looked up at the grey clouds. Was the deity saddened that the school was closing? That perhaps the last hope for coexistence between monsters and humans was forever lost? Was there any real hope to begin with?

Mizore silently shook her head. If her own personal experience with humans had taught her anything, it was that they were easily frightened creatures. They were not known to tolerate those who were different.

Mizore was snapped back into reality as the teachers called roll call. Ms. Nekonome called each name, her ears twitching with each response. Just as she was finishing up, Mizore noticed something was off. It took a few glances around her to realize that Hiro's name wasn't called, and that he wasn't even here.

A horn blasted through the normal chatter, and the bus pulled to a stop just in front of the black gates of Yokai Academy. With a hiss, the sliding doors folded open, revealing the lone bus driver within, smoke lazily flowing from the end of his signature cigar.

Out of nowhere, the headmaster appeared from the student multitude. Instantly, the staff swarmed around him. After a short huddle, the group dispersed once more., Silence swept the formations as they awaited for the headmaster to speak.

"Now that the transportation has arrived," the headmaster began, his voice carrying through the entire crowd, just as it had during his speech in the gymnasium, "we will begin taking you back to your respective homes, starting from the freshman up to the seniors." The headmaster's glowing gaze turned toward the class to Mizore's left. "Mr. Kotsubo, your class may begin boarding whenever you're ready."

The stocky gym teacher nodded, motioning for his class to follow. Mizore studied their faces as they sauntered by. Some seemed sad, others indifferent, happy, scared, and a unreadable mixture of them all. A few still carried signs of the battle, from bandages to casts. Several waved goodbye to the friends from the other groups. Mizore watched solemnly as the bus was filled within minutes, and with the sound of crunching gravel, rolled off and out of sight.

The yuki-onna caught sight of Nekonome walking just past her toward the back of the class group. Reaching out, she just barely nicked the cat-woman's shoulder, but it was enough. Nekonome spun around, looking a little spooked. "Excuse me," Mizore said, "but do you know where Hiro is? I noticed you didn't call his name earlier…"

Nekonome flashed a knowing smile. "Ah, you noticed. Yes, Hiro is staying behind for the time being. He wished to leave with-" she stopped –"Um, well, he has family coming to pick him up, so…" She started to fidget under Mizore's incredulous look. "W-was there something you wanted to say or needed from him?"

Mizore was about to say "Yes," but bit her tongue. "No," she said finally. If the academy really was closing for good, then she would probably never see the little guy again.

Nekonome tilted her head at Mizore's hesitation, but nodded anyway and shuffled away. Mizore watched her go, wondering if she should have inquired more deeply about Hiro, or reconsidered sending a message. _What would be the point? Chances are you'll never see him again. You won't see any of them again. _A sinking feeling developed in her chest.

After several uneventful minutes, the school bus had returned, its seats empty once more. With a signal from the Headmaster, Nekonome rallied up her class and lead the way toward the black gates. Mizore glumly followed, grabbing a window seat near the rear of the vehicle. With everyone on board, the driver stepped on the gas, puffing on his cigar. The others waved and called out their final farewells before the academy entrance fell behind them, the remaining students left behind. Mizore rested her head on the window, watching the thick canvas of trees roll by. She silently urged the driver to go faster, to get away from this place. She ached for the cold blanket of snow at her homeland to shield her from these feelings that were slowly eroding her from the inside.

_Matoko was taken away from me to be treated for her condition. Hiro won't have to worry about being bullied anymore. And Yusuke, he'll get the privacy he so craved. You'll never see any of them again._ _Because in the end, everyone leaves._

The tunnel entrance came closer and closer. Mizore looked out the side window, catching a glance at the white expanse of Yusuke field. Besides the wind blowing the flora around, she couldn't see any movement.

_There is no escape from the truth._

The bus rolled up through the dark tunnel, and the flower garden vanished from sight.

_In the end, you are always alone._

* * *

><p><em>AN: I suck at deadlines. :P_


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